


Yesterday's Tomorrow

by skylightsparkle



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-07
Packaged: 2018-02-23 14:36:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2551163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skylightsparkle/pseuds/skylightsparkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They say that love can transcend time and space, and just maybe, they were right. A series of one-shots for Pokeshipping week. Parts 1-4 & 7 take place in my own canon (with my other fics). Part five is anime canon. Part six is a fantasy au.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Through the Deepest Rivers and Highest Mountains

Ash pressed his lips together, brow furrowing as he puffed out his cheeks. He rolled his shoulders, shifting slightly on the pressed grass, his spine tingling with discomfort. He took one hand off of the fishing rod, slapping his legs to try and get the feeling back into them. The rod suddenly jerked, and Ash grabbed a hold of it. He kept it still and slowly started to reel the line in, stopping for a moment before reeling in again. Fishing took an extraordinary amount of patience, something he severely lacked, but his sheer stubbornness made up for that.

He bit his lip, concentrating on getting the pokemon out of the water. He was sure that it was going fine, no, he was positive about that. He tugged, and then the line snapped.

Ash let out a grunt of frustration, flopping back onto the ground and letting his fishing rod flop down onto the ground beside him. He blinked with mild surprise when he saw the twilight sky above him, not realizing that he had been at it for such a long time.

"Giving up?" Iris' head popped into his field of view, her long, violet hair falling into his face.

Ash reached up, pushing her hair away and saying, "No. Just a break." He pushed himself up off the ground, stretching out but freezing when his back cracked like a loud gunshot. "Not the type of break I was thinking of. Am I still alive?" He didn't move, afraid that something who (would) hurt or shatter if he did. Pikachu, who had been eating apples with Axew, glanced up at him curiously but didn’t seem particularly worried.

"You're fine," Cilan answered with a laugh, finishing with their dinner. "That's not your bones. That's air escaping your joints." He stood up and walked over, his smile vanishing into a stern expression as he shoved a sandwich into Ash's hands. "What I find more worrisome is that you've been sitting here all day fishing. You have a taste of desperation about you."

Ash sighed and took a bite of the sandwich, chewing a normal-sized bite before shoving the rest into his mouth, causing Iris to make a disgusted sound. He just made a face in reply as he swallowed his food and walked back to the edge of the river, sitting back down and digging through his bag.

"There's a pokemon that migrating through here right now, they're all over the place but are normally pretty hard to find. Misty's been looking for one for a long time, so I want to catch her one," he explained.

"Misty? Your imaginary girlfriend?" Iris asked with amusement as she held her arm out to Axew. The small pokemon gleefully jumped up, climbing up her arm and into her hair.

"She's not imaginary," Ash said, tilting his head back and looking at her with scowl. "You saw the pictures of her."

"Fake," she said simply with a careless shrug.

Not sure if he was amused or not, Ash shook his head. "So...you're saying I stalked some girl over the years and put myself into pictures with her."

"Well...oh my Mew, you have a lure of her?" Iris lurched forward, grabbing at the item he took out of his bag.

Ash reeled back away from her, almost tipping into the water and holding his lure close to his chest so he wouldn't drop it. "She gave it to me. Made it herself. You should have seen the first one, it was horrifying." He twisted around, putting it on the end of his fishing line. This was the last thing lure that he had, he lost all of the other ones. If he lost this one, he'd probably jump into the water and wrestle the pokemon with his aura.

That would be completely subtle, and it definitely wouldn't make Iris and Cilan suspicious about anything.

"The craftsmanship is quite remarkable," Cilan said, coming closer to observe it, since he too had a lure of himself. "She put a lot of hard work into that."

"Misty doesn't do things half way," Ash said with a grin, casting the lure out into the water. "Never has, and I doubt she ever will."

...

Misty inhaled sharply, her chest rising up as she trained her muscles, pulling up with her arms as her legs pushed, stretching just enough to make her uncomfortable. Managing to get herself up onto the flat surface, she exhaled and flopped down onto her back. She had strong arms and legs due to years of swimming, but climbing wasn't her forte, especially not around Mt. Silver in the pitch black.

Light flashed as a small, round, blue creature materialized beside her. She blinked down with worry. "Marill? Marill mar?"

"I'm okay," she assured Marill, glancing back over the ledge. They were supposed to make camp earlier, but some rather cranky pokemon interrupted them. Sure, she defeated them, but she didn't want to stay there.

A loud yawn escaped her lips, and Misty hauled her pack off of her back, reaching to pull out her warm sleeping bag to get a little bit of rest. She still had more of a hike than she originally anticipated ahead of her. There was really no one to blame but herself though. She could have easily took the Magnet Train to her destination, but she chose to travel through the lower caverns of Mt. Silver. On paper, the way she was going was a shortcut (on foot), but papers didn't always accurately include steep ledges, sloping hills and territorial pokemon. She wanted the challenge, and her sisters assured her that it was okay if she wasn't home right away after her official week off. They were good like that lately, letting her go where she needed to do what it was she wanted to do, once they all found something that they loved to do at home.

"Imagine what it would have been like up there?" She said to Marill as she got into the sleeping bag, taking off the cap that she was wearing on her head, and letting her pokemon get comfortable beside her. She pointed upwards, towards the summit of Mt. Silver that wasn't even in sight, hidden behind a wall of clouds. "We're just in the lower portions that trainers are allowed in." She knew that, higher up where there was a plateau before the rest of the mountain, there was a lone Pokemon Center that guarded the entrance. Only the best trainers were granted access to it.

"Marill mare!" She snuggled into Misty's side.

"Yeah, maybe someday." Misty yawned again, shifting to try and get comfortable. As much as she loved camping, she also loved her warm, comfortable bed and always missed it when she was away. When she was with friends, it was different, but alone, she was left to her thoughts, feeling every contour in the earth beneath her.

"Wish Ash and Pikachu were here," she muttered quietly, trying to keep her voice down.

"Rill."

Misty wasn't quite sure what that meant, maybe Marill was just acknowledging that she heard her. It didn't really matter though. "Hey, he can be a good pillow at times." Not to mention warm, which would have been helpful. Misty wanted to curse herself, because choosing to wear a yellow tank top with a red vest and cut-off jean shorts probably wasn't her best idea, but she originally didn't intend on going up the mountain. She had gone to a lecture on newly discovered water-types in Goldenrold City, and instead of just going straight back home, she decided that she wanted to challenge herself a bit, choosing to go through Mt. Silver on her own, knowing it would take her back to Kanto. She wanted a challenge on the way to her destination.

"Get some sleep Marill. Tomorrow should be fun."

"Marill rill."

...

Ash sighed, well aware that the sun was starting to go down. His eyes fluttered a bit as he fought off his tiredness. His body wanted to sleep, but he was determined to catch the pokemon he was looking for. They had to leave the island tomorrow, after all. He could literally sense them in the water, his aura let him know that they were there, but Misty always said he was kind of bad at fishing, and now he realized that she was just being nice. He caught some pokemon that way before, but he was actually really bad at it. Give him a mountain to climb any day over this.

His breath caught in his throat as he felt one of the pokemon inching closer to his lure, and he silently hoped it would latch on. He probably could have forced it to with his aura, but he would never ever do something like that.

Ash almost cheered when it decided to latch onto the bait. He instantly felt the pokemon's resistance and carefully started reeling it in. It really wasn't putting up that much of a fight though, almost like it wanted to be caught.

"Need any help?" Cilan asked him curiously. Though he was all ready to sleep, he was still awake, watching Ash's progress in between pages of the book he was reading.

"N... (No, I../No, I've g-") Ash trailed off, his attention grasped by something else. Eyes locked onto the water, he held his breath as another pokemon jolted almost out of nowhere, slamming into the pokemon that was on his line. The force pitched him forward, and he tried to stop himself, but ended up face-first in the water.

He pushed himself back up to the surface quickly enough, hearing Iris' laughter and Cilan's worried inquiries if he was okay or not. Ash wasn't focused on them though, all of his attention was solely on the creature in front of him.

"Ash? Are you okay?" Iris stopped laughing when she realized that he wasn't moving beyond treading water, staring at something with wide eyes and a paling face.

Ash didn't say anything, he only watched as a very annoyed Tentacool surfaced in front of him. He knew that they were getting close to Kanto again when he started seeing more and more familiar pokemon, but these were ones he hadn't missed at all.

"Tentacool, the Jellyfish Pokemon. A water and poison type," Cilan read out, having retrieved Ash's pokedex to check on what it was that had him so petrified. "It's body is virtually composed of water and it normally drifts in shallow seas though can sometimes be found in rivers and lakes. It shoots strange beams from its crystal-like eyes and anglers who hook them by accidentare (accident are) often punished by their stringers." He looked up at Ash. "Their stats don't seem that great."

"Pikapi! Pi pika pikachu!" Pikachu had been at the edge of the water since Ash fell in, watching with narrowed eyes, sparks dancing from his cheeks though he dared not actually attack.

"No, don't touch any of my other pokemon." Ash didn't move because he didn't want to startle it. "They're not really strong but if it stings me, I'm screwed." He could feel one of the tenacles in the water brush against his arm, glad that it hadn't released any poison yet. He was scared that if he moved too much or another pokemon appeared, its agitation might turn into aggression. Ash didn't want to use his aura to get away, he hadn't told anyone about it since his time in Sinnoh, but he would if he had to. He was going to leave it as an absolute last resort.

"Why? I can cure a little sting."

Cilan didn't have to get out his detective hat to put two and two together, quickly going to the part of Ash's pokedex that had information on him. His bright green eyes went wide and he said, "You're allergic to them."

"Just a bit," Ash replied sarcastically, carefully moving back bit by bit. Ash did reach the edge of the shore, but when he did, his hand met something else. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the lure that looked like Misty stuck on a rock at the ledge, otherwise it would have been lost to the water. He carefully tried to get it out, but when it was in his hand, the Tentacool tensed up and he felt the rage building up in it.

Before he could even hope to move, it attacked.

...

Misty heard something moving around her. At first, she sluggishly thought that it was just Marill, not fully awake, but when she shifted and felt her pokemon tensed up beside her, she realized that it wasn't. Her eyes snapped open, though she didn't move too quickly. Instead, she slowly looked over her shoulder.

She yelped with surprise when the hat that she had been wearing the other day popped up in front of her face. Red, white with a green version of the Kanto/Johto League's symbol, the old and slightly frayed hat once belonged to Ash, but it still fit her so she opted to wear it on her trek through Johto.

Needless to say, she was really shocked to see it move on its' own, realizing a moment later that there was a pokemon holding it up. The sky was still dim, and it was hard to see exactly who the culprit was before they took off into the lower caverns of Mt. Silver.

"Hey!" Misty flailed to get out of her sleeping bag, quickly recalling Marill and running after the pokemon, haphazardly shoving her sleeping bag into her pack. "Get back here with that!" She threw the pack onto her back, able to run a little faster now that she wasn’t trying to do ten things at once. She had no clue what it was or where it was going, but she needed to get that hat back. Ash would never let her leave it down if she lost his hat.

She sprinted through the twisting caverns, the the creature she was shadowing hopping just out of sight around every turn. She growled angrily, running around another bend, and slamming into something solid.

A sharp cry of pain escaped her as she fell to the ground, holding onto her hand that happened to get slammed between her own body and the apparent rock wall that she hit. Misty heard the sound of shifting rock, and her eyes opened to see a pair of massive feet. Dread rushed through her and she slowly looked up, meeting the eyes of a very unhappy Golem.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and all she could think was that she'd rather be out in the open, fishing or swimming or something like that. Not lost and trapped in a small tunnel, hand throbbing, with an angry pokemon looming over her.

She jerked back and it attacked.

...

Ash flailed backwards into the water, just avoiding the Tentacool's tentacles. The only bright side that he could think of was that it wasn't a Tentacruel, because there was no way he could escape 80 tentacles and a stringer to boot. He heard Iris and Cilan yell out to him, flashes of other pokemon appearing, but he didn't focus on that, he just wanted to get away from the pokemon.

He ended up dodging another attack, coughing as he inhaled some of the water and swimming as quickly as he could to the shore. The Tentacool managed to grab his leg, and he was more than thankful for the thick pants his mother insisted on buying him. The poison didn't get him, but getting dragged back into the water without taking a breath wasn't pleasant in the least.

The Tentacool let go of his leg as something else slammed into it. Ash immediately surfaced, gasping for breath. He felt hands grab his arms, dragging him up out of the water and to the shore.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu was immediately beside him, ears pressed against his head and eyes scanning Ash for injuries. His nose twitched and he smelled Ash's leg, growling a little bit.

"You need to change pants, so take them off and then let me look at your leg," Iris demanded, her face serious as she knelt beside him.

"What?" Ash asked, one eyebrow raising. "I'm not yanking off my pants. If there's no cut, I should be fine." His eyes turned to the river, where the two pokemon inside splashed and flailed as they attacked each other. He completely ignored his friends' protests, standing up and taking a few steps towards the water. He could feel the burn of a rash budding on his shin, but he focused on the water instead.

Without warning, a pokemon was tossed out of it. He moved quickly, reaching out and grabbing it before it could hit the ground, teetering dangerously against the edge of the water. He almost fell back in, but there was a flash of light, and then a long body wrapped around him and jerked him back onto solid ground.

"Thanks Serperior," he said with a sigh of relief. He took a few steps back, glancing down at the water to see the Tentacool glaring at him fiercely. Ash glared back, but then the pokemon in his arms moved a bit, tearing his gaze away. He frowned and then said, "Serpieror, get that Tentacool out of here." It was the only one, he could sense it, and the poor pokemon in his arms needed to get back into the water. He didn't even watch, knowing that his grass-type could handle this without him actually telling her what to do.

Send it away, but don't hurt it too badly.

"Iris, do you have any..." He trailed off as she almost instantaneously bounced over, shoving the berries he was going to ask for into his hands. "Thanks." He held them out to the pokemon and said, "This one will cure any poisons you might have got in your, and this one will help you get a bit of your strength back." He was actually a bit surprised that it ate so eagerly, but then again, it did seem a little on the small and scrawny side.

"Ser perior per!" His pokemon called out, looking incredibly proud of herself.

"That a girl," Ash said warmly to his pokemon, rubbing her head as he walked by. Despite his friends' call for him to 'get out of the water before you kill yourself' Ash got in anyway, careful to hold on to the little pokemon while it was getting used to the water again.

...

By the time the Golem took a step towards her, Misty's brain finally caught up with what was happening, and her hand reached back to her belt, grabbing for one of her pokeballs, only to get her fingers jabbed with tiny pieces of metal, find it empty. A quick glance over her shoulder let her see that they had scattered when she hit the ground, the clasps that normally kept them in place breaking from the impact. She pushed herself away from the looming pokemon with her feet, her hand reaching out to grab the first one that she could get.

The Golem roared, and then something jumped at its face. Misty didn't wait to see what it was, she twisted around, grabbed her pokeball and threw it. Light illuminated the cavern, and relief washed through her when her Starmie appeared. This Golem didn't stand a chance against her oldest pokemon.

"Use Hydro Pump!" There was really no need for her to command it, Starmie knew that she was in a bad situation and could figure out the best way to react on its own. The pokemon spun in the air, first slamming into the Golem to dislodge whatever it was that gave her the distraction earlier, before letting strong jets of water to blast the rock-type back.

She grabbed her other pokeballs, shoving them into the outer pocket of his bag when a distressed cry reached her ears. "Lar!"

"Huh?" Misty leaned over to look around Starmie, her eyes going when when she saw Ash's hat sitting on the head of a very familiar pokemon that was getting hit by part of Starmie's attack. She jumped up, launching herself forward and grabbing the pokemon, grunting a bit at how deceptively heavy it was as she stumbled forward. She didn't care if her clothes were wet, as long as the pokemon was safe.

The Golem ran by her, nearly trampling her in the process. Starmie landed beside her, and though it didn't have a face, Misty just knew how proud it was.

"Good job, return." She held up her pokeball, and her pokemon vanished again. She shifted onto her knees, her hand still throbbing horribly as she reached out and pushed the hat up a little bit so that she could stare directly into the eyes of the thief. "You're a Larvitar."

"Tar!" It nodded, the hat flying off of its' head. Misty picked it up, and the pokemon actually appeared sad.

She looked at the cap, and looked back at the Larvitar with confusion before her eyes went wide. "Oh! Oh I know you!" She laughed as it pretended to freeze up in horror, proving her theory. "You're the Larvitar that Ash took care of years ago!"

"Lar!" It cried out happily at being recognized.

...

"You're okay now?" Ash asked the water-type pokemon as he let her swim around in the water. He found a shallow spot and stayed in it, staying aware of everything else that was in the water. It was just more of the same pokemon, the ones that eluded him earlier, but they were keeping their distance.

The little one that saved him swam over to them, but they swam away and it ended up coming back, floating around him sadly.

"Huh," he pressed his lips together thoughtfully before reaching out to touch the pokemon. "They treat you differently, don't they?" She nodded, which was essentially moving her entire body. "Hey, you know who would love to meet you? My friend! She loves all water pokemon and has huge pools for them to swim in! She would love to have you around! You know, if you want to." He shrugged. "She even has a Psyduck that can't swim." If it was possibly, Ash was sure that the pokemon would look scandalized.

"Are you talking the pokemon into coming with you?" Iris asked him, amusement crossing her features as she knelt by the edge of the river.

"Yup!" He looked at the pokemon. "Really, you seem...lonely. She would love you and train you. Even enough to evolve!" That caught the pokemon's attention, and it jumped out of the water, cooing happily. "Is that a yes?" A nod.

Ash laughed, fishing for an empty pokemon that he held out. The pokemon swam at the button, engulfing itself in red light as it vanished. Ash tilted his head back to look at Iris and Cilan, showing them the pokemon. "See! All I had to do was ask!"

"Next time, start with that," Iris replied dryly. "And get out of the water before something else tries to drown you. I swear, you're such a kid."

He made a face at her, but climbed out without any other form a protest. He felt too excited and giddy over his newest friend.

Ash couldn't wait to get back home.

...

Larvitar chanted a little song as it led the way through the cavern. In her earlier chase, Misty had become horribly lost, not sure which way to go. The pokemon felt guilty, and elected to show her the way out.

"So," Misty spoke up, watching him curiously. "Are you here with your mother?" She frowned when he shook his head, but realized that, though he wasn't evolved, he wasn't a baby anymore either. "So you're alone?" He nodded his head sadly. Misty knew that, in an environment like this, a pokemon refusing to evolve might have been seen as strange, and something to be shunned.

She frowned as she walked, wincing as they went around the corner and her eyes were assaulted by the bright light from outside. She walked to the edge of the cave, surprised to see that Larvitar had led her to the Kanto side. She honestly expected just to end up wherever she has been the night before, but he actually showed her a legitimate shortcut.

"Thank you," she smiled warmly, kneeling down beside it. Larvitar smiled and held up his hand, but then frowned a bit as his eyes caught sight of the hat she was wearing.

Misty pursed her lips for a moment before her eyes went wide. "Oh! I have an idea!" She held out a pokeball, and he looked at her curiously. "Why don't you come with me? Then, when we see Ash again, you can go with him! Oh, if you want to, of course. You don't have to! I know he'd love to see you again."

Larvitar stared at her with shocked eyes before he laughed and danced around, causing her to laugh. She held the empty pokeball out a little farther, and he happily slapped it with his hand, going inside.

Misty beamed at the pokeball happily, holding it to her chest as she stood up again, finding the easiest way down the steep slopes and towards Virdian City.

Misty couldn't wait to get back home.

...

Misty ran as fast as her feet could possibly take her, ignoring the startled cries of people as she barreled down the sidewalk. If she slowed down enough to actually hear the people, she could only imagine what they'd have to say about one of the Cerulean City Gym Leaders tearing through the streets like a hyperactive Ponyta.

Not that she really cared. She had places to be and things to do. It wasn't her fault that she ended up staying in Mt. Silver a lot longer than she meant to, the days had just kind of blurred together.

Plus she ended up missing the train in Viridian City, and had to wait for the next train. The direct train from Viridian City, over the water to Vermillion City had yet to be complete, so she was stuck taking the scenic route to Celadon, transfer over, and then get down to Vermillion. It was a bit mind boggling really and she had no idea who planned it out, but that's the way it was. The Magnet Trains that were being installed all over Kanto and Johto were fast, but they didn't teleport people, it still took some time.

Her eyes locked onto the harbour , and she huffed angrily when she saw that the ship she promised to be waiting for had already docked. That was the reason she was in such a hurry. If she just said that she'd meet up with them somewhere else, it would be no big deal, but no, she promised she'd be waiting there for Ash.

She could already see the look on his face when he'd undoubtedly find out that she got lost in the lower levels of Mt. Silver. He would tease her mercilessly! Strangely enough, that thought didn't really bother her as much as it should have, but maybe that had more to do with the fact that she missed him a lot. He hadn't come home for Christmas or anything like that, not having the money for it, so it had been over a year since she'd last seen him. Ash called every night he was at a Pokemon Center, or somewhere he had access to a phone without racking up someone's bill, and he sometimes sent letters or parcels too, but seeing someone in the flesh was different.

Misty finally came to a stop, leaning against the stone wall of the building that she was beside and catching her breath. If he and his friends from Unova left, she'd see them go, but if not, it gave her a chance to regain her composure. Did she really want her long-distance boyfriend to see her as a mess the first time he saw her in a year? Misty thought about that and realized how stupid that was. Ash could literally care less.

With that in mind, and honestly not really caring herself if she looked a little winded, she straightened herself up and walked around the corner, through the archways that separated the docs from the rest of the city. Her sea-green eyes scanned around for a moment before she caught sight of a Pikachu sitting on someone's shoulder. If that wasn't enough to tell her that she found the right person, the messy black hair hidden beneath a baseball cap did.

She was about to call his name, but stopped herself, choosing to sneak up on him instead. Pikachu's ears twitched, and he looked around, his eyes going wide, but he stopped himself from yelling when Misty put her finger to her lips. The girl that Ash was talking to her, about their age, maybe a little younger, with wild violet hair glanced at her and did a double take, looking honestly surprised to see her.

Misty reached forward to grab his arm or shoulder, and yelped as he grabbed her arm, twisting around to face her with a big grin on his face and yanking her towards him at the same time. His familiar laughter rang through the air, as he wrapped his arms around her, only quieting as he muttered, "Aura." Of course she should have remembered that. He was probably searching for her even if nobody else realized it.

"Fun ruiner," she replied as she shifted a bit, flinging her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. She buried her face into his shoulder, the scent of the sea lingering on his clothes after being on a ship for so long. She was never one to wallow in missing someone, to get it detract her from everything else she wanted to be doing, but it all rushed back through her at that moment and she was practically clinging to him. She wanted to protest as his grip loosened, but he didn't go that far. It was only afterwords that she realized exactly what she was doing. She was staring up at him.

"Dear sweet Mew, what did you eat in Unova? You got so tall." She reached up, pushing a bit of his hair out of his eyes. "Your hair's a bit longer too." They were the same height when he left for Unova, but now he was definitely taller than her. It was actually astounding, considering when they first met, he was a head shorter than her.

Ash just smiled at her, warm and so familiar. Without any warning, he pulled her close again, leaning down and kissing her. Misty hummed in approval as he ran his fingers along her cheek as her own intertwined in his hair, propping herself up a little bit so he didn't have to lean down so much.

"Pikachupi!" Misty felt Ash's annoyed sound rather than hearing it, but he pulled away from her anyway, glaring over at his pokemon, who had retreated onto the girl's shoulder.

They shifted around so that they were facing the three other people there, the girl, an older boy with matching bright green hair and eyes, as well as brunette woman who looked terribly amused. Misty honestly felt a little shy, but she felt Ash put a hand on her shoulder, and looking up at him, he didn't seem embarrassed in the least.

Pikachu wiggled a bit and then jumped over to Misty, who caught him in her arms, laughing as she hugged him. "Yeah, I missed you too Pikachu. You've been keeping an eye on him?"

"Pi pikachu." He rolled his eyes and Misty laughed. She looked up, startled by the fact that the violet-haired girl, Iris if she remembered right, was standing directly in front of her. She took a couple steps back, stopping when her back hit Ash's chest. She glanced up at him, and he raised an eyebrow at her. She glared back, just knowing what he was thinking.

She took a step away from him and towards the girl, smiling and holding out her hand. "I'm Misty, and you must be Iris, right? I've heard a lot about you."

"I did too but I didn't think...I thought he was making it up that he had a girlfriend!"

Misty snorted with amusement. "Dawn said the same thing when I first met her!"

"You know Dawn too?" Iris suddenly appeared all too excited. Misty decided that she liked this girl's enthusiasm, and the fact that she clearly wasn't shy.

Cilan cleared his throat and walked forward, smiling at her and holding out his hand like she had. "I'm Cilan, and it's simply fantastic to meet you. You have a unique taste about you, bold and still sweet!"

"What?" She couldn't hide the wariness in her voice, once again taking a step back. Ash chuckled behind her, putting a hand on her hip and shaking his head.

Iris groaned and nudged Cilan in the ribs. "Way to freak her out. We're trying to make a good impression on Ash's not-fake girlfriend." She rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, he doesn't mean anything by it." Cilan rubbed his ribs and smiled sheepishly. Ash was about to speak, but she interrupted excitedly. "And this is Alexa. She's a journalist from Kalos!" Alexa smiled and nodded at her.

"Oh!" Ash's eyes went wide all of a sudden. He tugged at Misty's arm gently and said, "I got something for you!"

"You got something for me?" She repeated, though she wasn't exactly surprised. Ever since she went back to Cerulean City, Ash usually brought something for her when he came back from wherever he was.

"Come on!" He let go of her arm and grabbed her hand instead, taking off and pulling her along with him.

"Ash you spaz!” Misty yelled at him as she stumbled along behind him. She swore she heard the other three that they were leaving behind laughing, though Pikachu was sprinting after them. "You're going to rip my arm off!"

"I am not!" He hurried down to the shoreline, stumbling a little bit himself. He came to the edge of the water and held out a pokeball. "I spent hours fishing and nearly got attacked by a Tentacool."

"You...were fishing?" Misty stared at him with an absolutely dumbfounded expression.

"I'm glad you skipped over the Tentacool part."

"Yeah but...you? Fishing? That's just..." She shook her head, smiling broadly as she fished through her own bag, taking out her own pokeball and holding it out to him. "We'll trade. I found this guy for you when I was going through Mt. Silver."

"You went through Mt. Silver? Alone?" He couldn't hide the worry behind his eyes, and she felt a little bit offended, glaring at him. He held up his hands with surrender, and she couldn't help but feel the annoyance almost melt away. She just couldn't stand staying mad with him, not after so long of not seeing him.

"I want you to open yours first," she insisted, nudging it into his hands and taking the one that he was holding. She stared at him expectantly, and then said, "Please?"

"Fine, fine," Ash tossed the pokeball up into the air, Pikachu watching as it soared up and the light burst out from it. When they both saw who it was that appeared, Pikachu let out a cry of happiness and Ash's mouth fell open. "Larvitar? Is that-? Are you-?" He looked at Misty, who nodded her head, and then at Larvitar again. He burst into laughter and easily lifted the pokemon up, hugging him tightly. The pokemon nuzzled into him in return and waved at Pikachu.

Misty smiled warmly as she watched the reunion of old friends. She looked at the pokeball in her hands, more than a little curious about what pokemon he was so excited over. She should have waited until he was paying attention, but her curiosity got the best of her and she opened the pokeball.

Misty's sudden squeal of happiness was a sound Ash had heard from her sisters before, but never her. Needless to say, it startled him, Pikachu, Larvitar, and probably anyone else around them. Misty glanced over her shoulder from where she was kneeling in the shallow water, touching the pokemon that came out.

"You got me a Feebas!" Misty giggled madly, her fingers running across the pokemon's purple scales. He didn't get her just any Feebas though, he got her a shiny one. She never quite understood the term shiny, but she knew that they were fairly rare, especially in pokemon that were hard to find anyway.

"Lar!" Ash looked at Larvitar, setting him on the ground. The pokemon pushed at his leg and nodded towards Misty, causing the boy to laugh and rub the pokemon's head. He got up to head towards her while Pikachu began to talk to the pokemon excitedly.

"I know you were looking for a Feebas for a long time and...well...this one reminded me of you. Who you used to be." She looked up at him curiously, and Ash's cheeks turned pink as he shifted awkwardly. "You know, you were a bit scrawny, and you had a pretty bad temper like this girl does."

Misty's eyes narrowed. "Oh really? Do continue."

"She's also really unique in a good way! I mean, the other pokemon don't think so cause being shiny means standing out and that can be bad but...the right person sees the good things. Having a Milotic doesn't matter if you don't like the Feebas they used to be, right?"

Misty shook her head and looked down at the Feebas, who nuzzled against her hand but rolled her eyes at Ash. The motion made her laugh, and Misty stood up, turning to face him. "You are a complete goob, you know that? But you're sweet too." Pikachu and Larvitar came closer to the water to talk to the shiny Feebas.

She tugged him towards her, pressing her lips against his briefly, swiping off his hat in the process, before just smiling at him. "Thank you, seriously."

"I'm the one that should be thanking you. How you...you have to tell me how you found him again," Ash insisted, leaning his forehead against her own. "Must have been one hell of an adventure."

"It was, and you're going to share how you found her," she nodded at Feebas, who splashed Pikachu playfully. "We'll trade adventures, deal?"

"Deal." He closed his eyes. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. I'm glad you're home."

**-The End-**

 

 


	2. Seasons Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of one-shots for Pokeshipping week on tumblr. Day two: Stages of Their Relationship. Seasons change and people grow, though sometimes it takes a person looking in to realize that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokeshipping Day 2 Theme: Stages of Their Relationship
> 
> Universe: 'The Road You Choose'

**Learning In Summer**

"She's driving me crazy, mom!" Ash whined, his dark eyes flickering left and right as if making sure that the object of his ire wasn't in earshot. "She just keeps yelling and going on about her bike!"

Delia Ketchum smiled a little bit and shook her head as she stared at her son through the screen. Though he was off in another city in Kanto, she could still tell that he must have been tapping his foot or jiggling his leg a bit. He never could sit still when he was agitated. She wiped some of her sweat-soaked hair out of her face – the summer air that night was far too humid and hot for her liking, but Ash seemed fine on his end.

"Well, you did take and destroy her bike," Delia pointed out almost airily, ignoring the way her son grumbled about her not taking his side. She understood his actions and why he had done it, knowing that he never meant to destroy the bike, but bless his soul, trouble followed him wherever he went. She frowned suddenly, realizing that something was out of place with his irritation. "I must admit, I thought she'd calm down a little bit about it after you gave her the money for the bike." She herself had sent her son half of the money for it, but only after he collected the first half through winning different battles. Ash shifted, his eyes looking down towards his hands to avoid looking at her. "Ash Ketchum! Please tell me you didn't spend that money yourself!" She had raised him better than that.

"No, no, no!" Ash waved the hand that wasn't holding the receiver in front of him, shaking his head wildly. "I still have it. I promise. I wouldn't spend it on something else. I just..." He shrugged helplessly. "She said that she'd leave when I gave it back. Her bike. Or the money for it."

Delia's anger almost immediately evaporated. She was a little bit confused, but that swiftly changed to understanding, and she couldn't help but smile. "You don't want her to leave, do you?" Ash shrugged bashfully. "That's sweet, honey."

"It's not sweet." He said the word as if it was made out of poison. At times like this, Delia wondered how it was that her son was deemed matured enough to leave on his journey. "It's just..." His irritation vanished, shyness rearing its head again. "I don't know. I mean, she drives me insane and she's a total brat, but she's also really nice when she wants to be, and I like having her around." He looked down a bit. "I met her on the first day and I know Brock's here now but..." He shrugged helplessly, eyes darting up and staring at her, almost begging for help in understanding what he himself couldn't.

"So, you like Misty even when she drives you crazy?" He nodded his head, but it was a strange motion, like he was about to shake it at first. "That's good though. It means you can deal with the bad and the good. If you couldn't, you wouldn't really be friends."

Delia watched as he contemplated that for a moment before his shoulders slumped and he looked dejected, of all things. She thought her words would brighten him up a bit, but if anything, he looked sad. She was about to ask, but he beat her to the punch. "Like Gary, right? And Leaf. And almost everyone else."

"Oh sweetie," Delia didn't quite know what to say to that. She knew that her son didn't have the best of luck with making friends in Pallet Town, but it hadn't bothered him while he had Gary and Leaf as his friends. Then Gary's parents died, and everything changed. Sometimes, Delia wanted to scold the little boy, but he was hurting over losing his parents and his Aunt Daisy. It still wasn't something that he should have taken out on Ash. Leaf tried to stay friends, and as far as Delia knew, there was no ill-blood there, but they drifted away from one another. Ash had been alone, and bullied frequently, though he would never admit that to her or any sort of teacher. She still knew.

That's when it occurred to her why he didn't want Misty to leave when he was finally starting to see her as a friend and not an annoying tag-along. "She's the first friend you had in a long time." He ducked his head slightly, nodding and trying to hide his embarrassment. "Don't let what the kids here did stop you from making friends out there. I'm sure you don't have to...hold her hostage to keep her there."

"I'm not!" Ash burst out, brow furrowing with annoyance.

"Okay, that's unfair, but you need to trust her a little more." The eleven-year-old shrugged, and Delia's heart went out to him because she could see it now. He was scared of not just losing a friend, but he was scared of making one to begin with. "Well, just don't spend that money on anything else, you hear me? Unless it's an emergency."

"I won't, Ma. I promise." That made Delia smile, because she knew that her son tried hard to keep his promises.

"Why are you still awake?" A young, female voice cut in, and Ash turned around, frowning at someone Delia couldn't see through the screen.

"Talking to my mom." His voice was so dry and annoyed that Delia was half tempted to scold him for it.

"Yeah right," came the curt reply. "She of all people would know that keeping you up late makes you catty in the morning." Delia's eyes darted over to the clock, and she did a double take when she saw what time it was.

"It does not!" Ash argued, whining a bit as Misty shoved him aside, leaning down to look at the phone.

Her cheeks turned bright pink when her eyes met Delia's, and she stood up straight again, still in sight of the video-phone. "Oh, um. Mrs. Ketchum! Sorry, I just...umm..."

Delia laughed and waved her hand. "It's no problem." She didn't like the smug look on her son's face, she raised him better than to take enjoyment out of someone else's discomfort, especially when that person was a friend. "I didn't realize how late it was, and you're right, you both should get to bed."

Misty's lips ticked up into a smile, eyes flashing gratefully until she heard as grumble. Then she set a stern expression on her face, putting her hands on her hips and saying, "Told you."

"She never said I got catty!" Ash turned around to face her, eyes narrowed in a glare.

"She implied it," Misty said in a sing-song voice.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too!'

"Children!" Delia called out in a sugar-sweet voice that made Ash cringe and Misty look at him curiously. Delia tended to use that tone of voice when she was about to scold someone, and her son had been on the receiving end of it many, many times. "You must be tired, Misty. You run along and I'll send him up in a minute. Have a good night."

Misty blinked with surprise before shifting uncomfortably. She nodded her head and quickly scurried away. Ash watched her go, and Delia knew that she was out of sight when he turned his attention back to the screen, a scowl on his face. "See! She can be horrible!"

"You weren't exactly welcoming either," Delia said lightly, causing him to sink down and blush. "I have something important to ask you, and it's really serious, okay?"

"Okay?" He sat back up, agitation and embarrassment gone.

"You saw what she did when I said goodnight, right?"

"You mean how rude she was?" He replied dryly, and held up a hand in defeat when she glared. "Sorry."

Delia just shook her head and said, "I don't think anyone's said that to her for a long time. Just something simple, like goodnight. That says a lot. She probably acts a little more harshly because that's all she knows. I've only spoken to her a few times, but she's definitely hiding more behind her anger." She smiled at her son. "Give her time, sweetie. I think she needs to find herself too."

Ash was confused, that much she could see. He tried to say something a few times, but cut himself off until he finally asked, "Do you think there's something I could do to help?"

"Say goodnight. Be a friend. It'll make everything better for both of you."

Ash once again looked contemplative before he smiled and nodded his head. "I'll try my best!"

"That's my boy." Delia felt a wave of pride rush through her. "Now, you get to bed and get some sleep. Call me again when you get the chance. I love you."

"Love you too, Ma." Ash hung up the phone, and the screen went blank.

Delia leaned back in her chair, looking at the fan spinning on the ceiling, trying to ward off the summer heat. She didn't know much about Misty, but she did know her son, and knew that he would try to be a better friend, even if it didn't always seem like it. From the brief interactions she had with the girl though, Delia knew that she was just as lost as her son was in certain ways. They both needed someone, a friend to fix all of the damage done in the past. There was no coincidence in fate, and Delia was a strong believer in that. She couldn't wait to see where their paths took them.

...

**Growing In Spring**

The scream was so loud that it actually made Delia jump in shock, looking up from the kitchen sink where she viciously attempted to scrub the rest of their early lunch off of the plates. Before she could even focus on what she was looking for out the window, laughter erupted and her son shot by, the very long garden hose in his hand.

"I'm going to murder you!" That should have worried Delia, but her shock turned into a smile as she watched Misty race after him, soaked from head to toe. The girl jumped over the patio, tackling the boy to the ground where they wrestled over the hose.

It was a warm spring day, and since they were there, she had set the kids to work outside. Brock was still kneeling by her garden where he had been dutifully weeding, but was now watching his two friends with a bemused expression. He caught sight of her in the kitchen window and shook his head a bit. Delia just laughed.

"Give it here you – ah!" Misty screamed as he managed to spray her again with the cold water, his laughter ringing throughout the yard. "Ash! You uber goober!" She tried to yank the hose out of his hands, but he managed to roll over so that it was underneath him. That didn't deter her any, and she jumped onto his back, trying to reach under him to grab it. Seeing that he wasn't about to be moved, Misty pursed her lips and then smirked.

Delia watched curiously as the young girl shifted slightly, moved her fingers, and then attacked. Ash laughed hard, jerking and flailing to get away from her as she tickled him viciously. Mrs. Ketchum couldn't help but laugh at her son's plight. Was it horrible of her to think that he deserved it for spraying Misty, because she definitely did.

"Stop, stop!" Ash laughed loudly as he tried to roll away from her, tears streaking down his cheeks. "I'm sor—." The rest of his sentence died as he gasped to catch his breath.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you?" She was smiling broadly, much too amused and proud of herself.

"I'm sorry! Okay! Stop it!" He was hiccuping now, and that only made Misty grin victoriously.

She stopped her tickle attack and got off of him. Ash almost immediately got off the ground, probably paranoid that she was going to jump on him again, but in doing so, he left the garden hose on the ground for the taking.

Delia tried to hide her smile when she saw Misty look at the hose and then at Ash. His face contorted into horror, and he tried to beat her to it, but the girl was too fast this time. She grabbed the hose and sprayed him as he ran away from her.

Insults were thrown at one another, along with the occasional grass and mud, but Delia didn't bother scolding them. It was clear that neither one was taking any of the ridiculous insults to heart, that they were just having fun and playing like normal kids their age would, and she didn't have it in her to stop them. Though they all had smiles on their faces when she talked to them, Delia knew that there were many struggles of being a traveling trainer. She herself had been one once. These moments where they could be carefree and just act like kids were precious.

Delia couldn't remember the last time she saw her son actually just playing like this, without the pretense of training or trying to compete with someone. She was glad that he had finally found some real friends that he could trust.

...

**Understanding In Autumn**

"You should have seen them, Mom! Dawn and May were both amazing!" Delia smiled warmly at her son's enthusiasm as he retold her the story of his friends triumphs so far in the contest. The Alamos Town contests were actually widely known, and she herself planned on watching it that night, but she had been too busy raking the yard. From the window that was behind Ash, she could clearly see that the leaves were still green in Sinnoh, but the cold had settled into Pallet early that year. It was okay though, Delia enjoyed autumn.

Delia could only admire the sheer pride in her son's voice, regarding his friends' success. He acted so much like an older brother and even a mentor to them that it made her proud. She raised a good boy, and though he tried her patience at times, nearly giving her a heart attack at others, she was still very proud of him. Every time he called her, he looked a little older, the roundness to his face melting away. Delia doubted her son would turn out big and burly like Brock or some of the other gym leaders out there, he looked too much like his father who had been talk and slender, with an angular face and hidden strength. What she did know about was that her boy would turn into a very handsome young man, and she was sure that wasn't just her own bias talking.

"What are you – Delia!" Taking her by complete surprised, Misty appeared behind Ash. The red-haired girl beamed brightly before shoving Ash aside slightly and sitting beside him.

"Um, what if this was a private conversation?" Ash raised an eyebrow as he stared at her, clearly more amused than anything else.

Misty just nudged him and grinned cheekily. "But it's not." She turned her attention to the screen. "How are you, Delia?"

"Oh, good." She smiled politely and raised an eyebrow. "A bit surprised to see you there." It was silly, but Delia had to remind herself that they were only fourteen and they were still new to the whole relationship thing, so they wouldn't be doing anything that she'd disapprove of. They had earned her trust and the benefit of the doubt, and she would give it to them until proven wrong. Hopefully that would never change.

"I came with May. It was a surprise." Misty smiled sheepishly. "I'm still coming to visit before I go home though! I did promise!"

"You visit my mom?" Ash interrupted, his eyes going wide at the revelation.

"Every other weekend thanks to the train finally going to Pallet," Misty admitted with a small shrug.

Delia quite enjoyed their visits and was glad that the girl came around so often. She would have thought that Ash would see the benefits of it and didn't understand why he looked frightened, especially since he and Misty had been friends for years now.

Misty's lips turned up into a mischievous grin and she said, "She shows me your baby pictures."

"Mom!" Ash's face went a brilliant shade of red, though it was hard to tell since he buried his face into his hands.

Delia tried to cover up her amused giggles as the situation suddenly made sense to her. Every time that they were home, he would always scramble around the house and hide the photo albums, but with Misty visiting before he could do damage control, things were different. "It's just Misty," she said with a shrug. It wasn't really just Misty though, she knew that the teenage girl was a very important part of her son's life, and becoming even more important as the seasons cycled by.

"That's the point!" He slumped and pouted, a strange combination of a slightly angst-filled teenager and a child who didn't get what they wanted.

Clearly amused, Misty shifted a bit and poked his puffed out cheek. "Aww, are you embarrassed?" He glared at her, and she just grinned. Delia watched as they stared at one another, Ash's gaze becoming softer before he just sighed and shook his head, leaning back a little and looking at the ceiling of the Pokemon Center.

Misty moved a little closer to him, their sides pressed against one another, and Delia could only watch her son smile, lulling his head to look at the redhead beside him.

In just that brief moment, she could a look of understanding pass between them, and it left such a bittersweet feeling inside of her. On one hand, her boy was growing up and slowly (very slowly) but surely falling in love, and that was such a good thing because she highly approved of the person it was with. On the other, she knew that he was growing up and that was always so hard to deal with, knowing that she'd have to let another part of him go.

It was heart-wrenching, but on a warm autumn day, all Delia could do was genuinely smile.

...

**Warming In Winter**

Delia sighed as she watched the snowstorm out of the kitchen window. She had been looking forward to Professor Oak's Christmas Party, but they were snowed in. So much for an exciting Christmas Eve.

The loud and boisterous laughter that belonged to her teenage son erupted from the living room, the sound so genuine and happy that it made her lips turn up into a smile. She crept out of the kitchen quietly, her green, holiday dress swishing around her calves as she walked across the hardwood floor. Putting her hand on the edge of the door frame that led to the living room, Delia peered in and her smile instantly grew larger.

Ash had so many genuine friends from so many places now, that Delia went out of her way to make sure there were plenty of places to sit in the living room. She had a couch, a love seat and a few different chairs, not to mention other chairs that could be brought up from the basement.

Despite all the places to sit, Ash had made himself comfortable on the large plush chair that used to dwarf him, but at sixteen, he had become so much taller and a little bit broader, and it didn't seem so awkward anymore. There really wasn't anything too odd about where he chose to sit, but the fact that Misty chose to sit on his lap rather than anywhere else was definitely amusing.

It was a sweet sight, her son bundled in a new ugly Christmas sweater that she had been so proud of finding, and Misty wearing an equally ugly sweater was sitting sideways across his lap, one hand reaching up and playing with his hair absentmindedly while the other clutched a steaming mug of hot chocolate that Delia distinctly remembered Ash making for himself, the girl insisting that she didn't want any. He muttered something quietly to her, and she laughed, shaking her head and nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. Ash just smiled broadly, the hand that was on her back drawing patterns as he stole the mug back from her and taking a drink.

Delia shook her head, smiling as she watched Misty whine with protest and tried to take it back. They probably could have made it through the snow, they were both stubborn, but neither one expressed a desire to go to Professor Oak's Annual Christmas Bash even when it was nice out. Now she could see why. The year before, Ash hadn't been able to come home for Christmas, something that she knew made him a little bit miserable, but even though he was farther away in Kalos, he saved the money for the round trip this time. They really only had a little over a week together before it would be several months apart, and it was obvious that they just wanted to spend it together.

Choosing to leave them alone, Delia caught sight of Misty pulling his head down to kiss him, and shook her head with amusement. If someone had told her years ago that the spunky redhead and her son would end up together, she might have laughed, but she wouldn't have been overtly surprised. She got to see them through all the different stages, the good, the bad, the awkward and the hilarious, and she knew that there was no reason for her to worry. Seasons would come and go, and bad things would always accompany the good, but they were both stubborn, both fighters and would trudge their way through whatever they had to.

Not everyone found someone in the world who genuinely love them, Delia herself was one of them, but she took comfort in the fact that both her son and the young woman who she saw as a daughter found each other.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know the seasons aren't in order, that was just the way it ended up working out. Oh well. I don't really have much else to say for this, except a small reminder that this does take place in my own continuity before, during and after the rewrites I have now!
> 
> Sky


	3. The Question Of The Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of one-shots for Pokeshipping week on tumblr. Day three: Thinking About Each Other. A surprising question has Ash doing a lot of deep thinking, especially for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokeshipping Day 3 Theme: Thinking About Each Other
> 
> Universe: 'The Road You Choose' Universe.

"So, tell us Ash, do you have a future bride in mind?"

Ash had been lost in his own thoughts until that moment, blinking with surprise and glancing at the teenage girl sitting beside him. She was probably a year or two younger than him, with short blue hair and bright brown eyes that looked positively impish as she waited for him to answer the question. His mind raced over what she asked, coming up with an instinctive, "Huh?"

Shaking her head, Miette appeared more than just a little amused as she repeated, "Do you have a future bride in mind?"

The surprise wearing off, he raised an eyebrow at her, feeling more bemused than anything else. That was before a bit of guilt rose up in his as her eyes flickered to the blonde girl sitting on the other side of him. It took a little while (and by a little while, he meant Bonnie bluntly stating it to his face) that Serena had a crush on him, but once he knew, he found himself picking up on the way she would blush more around him or how she tried to flirt. He almost wished he was oblivious to it, because now that he knew he had to deal with that and he really didn't want to hurt her. She was his friend, after all.

"Of course not," he answered quickly. His bright brown eyes glanced beside him when he heard Serena huff with annoyance. Maybe he should have actually talked to her about this whole thing, but when it came down to awkward situations, he wasn't always known for his tact and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt his friend's feelings. He liked Serena, he really did. He thought she was an awesome person and a baker that could rival Cilan or Brock (no matter what Miette said about her pokepuffs being just okay). He really didn't want things to get awkward by telling her bluntly (because that's how it would come out, he just knew it) that he didn't think of her like that, and that he already had a girlfriend.

That was a whole other issue. Iris scolded him about being too vague about that once she found out about Misty. It wasn't that he was ashamed of her, or that he was trying to keep her a secret, Ash just couldn't bring himself to act possessive (in most situations) or to brag about the fact that he was in a long term relationship. Yes, he talked up and bragged about all of his friends achievements, especially hers, but he also focused on what they were doing rather than how it affected or related to him. Yes, Misty was his girlfriend, but that didn't define who she really was, and he didn't want people to get that impression before meeting her.

Cilan and Iris caught on when they found him writing a letter to her, and when bluntly asked, Ash would never deny it, even though Iris thought he was making it up. That was until Misty met them at Vermillion City when they returned home.

In the end though, the largest reason that none of his friends seemed to know that he already had a girlfriend was simply the time difference. In order to talk to Misty (and his mother, of course), he had to stay up well past when everyone else went to sleep. He would spend an hour, maybe two talking to her, always finding something to say. Of course he always made time to call his mother as well, because he'd have hell to pay if he didn't. This resulted in his new routine of staying at a Pokemon Center for two days, since he would sleep in the first morning, everyone else just assuming that he was lazy.

The thought of Misty made him backtrack over his answer. His brow furrowed as he thought about it. A future bride? He wasn't a genius or an expert on women by any means, not even close, but despite the fact that most of it was long-distance, he had been dating Misty for almost three years now and he was confident enough to say he knew a thing or two about how relationships worked. In the end a couple would either break up or they wouldn't, and though he'd heard of in-betweens like people always hooking up with their ex or open relationships, they kind of boggled his mind. To each their own though.

Ash pursed his lips slightly. If relationships kept going, they would eventually end up in marriage, unless one of the people involved was opposed to marriage itself. He had a pretty open mind and didn't see a problem with  not  wanting to marry someone but still wanting to be with them. Then again, he didn't see a lot of problems in things that were apparently problems in the world. The end point was still the same either way: they'd break up or stay together.

He had no plans of breaking up with Misty, and he was nearly positive that it wasn't on her mind either, judging from the last time they spoke to one another, so where did that leave them?

He looked up as Serena said something, though he didn't really catch what it was. She fixed Miette with a firm glare that was really more amusing than anything else, turning to walk towards Bonnie. That's probably what she was saying, the girl needed her for something. Ash nodded his head and then went back to his silent musing.

It was an understatement to say that he and Misty argued like it was no one's business. After a couple times of hanging up on each other or storming away, which ended up with  both  of them fretting over what the other was thinking, they made a system of sorts. Well, it was his mother's suggestion, but it seemed to work. If they were together, neither one would leave the place they were at, be it a Pokemon Center, his house, her gym or even just a forest clearing. They'd give each other some space and time to cool down, and then they'd talk about it no matter how much they didn't want to. Similarly, over the phone, they would hang up (most likely Misty slamming the phone down), and not talk for a few hours. Ash wouldn't leave the Pokemon Center he was at so she could reach him easily, and they swore not to ignore each other's calls no matter how angry they were. They'd talk it out.

When Ash was younger, he kind of the thought that talking about everything was a bit strange, but now that he was a little older, he was starting to understand.

Should he even be thinking about that at 16? If he had any other lifestyle but a traveling trainer, he probably would have shrugged the thought off. Or he would have had some sort of embarrassed panic attack with a red face and wildly flailing arms. Everyone told him that he had grown up a lot over the past six years, and he had been friends with Misty for all six of those years, more than friends with her for over two.

Ash's thoughts moved to his mother, as they normally did when he was contemplating something about relationships. His mother was all he had, the one person he truly looked up to more than anyone else, and her advice was something he cherished and followed more and more each day. Delia was only 19 when he was born, though his father had been in his twenties. So she wasn't that much older than he was now when she started a family, even if some people might call it broken. He didn't see it like that though. They didn't need his father to be a whole family.

Ash wouldn't be like that though. He decided that a long time ago that he would be present in his future child's life. That thought alone made him realize that yes, he would definitely need a girlfriend to make that part come true. It wasn't like he could (or would want to) clone himself. He also knew that if his mother had anything to say about it, he  would  get married to said person. Then again, he thought warmly, if his mother had her way, she'd have him married off as soon as he was a legal adult with grand kids on the way soon after.

At first, her statements like that made him embarrassed, but now he just shrugged it off as her being quirky.

His mind whirled back to his first inquiry. It wasn't like he hadn't let himself think of the future before. He always had his goals clear in his mind and vivid in his dreams, and maybe it was subconscious or just entirely too natural for it to really stand out at the time, Misty was always there with him. Not just as a friend and colleague who was a powerful Water Pokemon Master, but she was actually  with  him (and a powerful Water Pokemon Master to boot).

A part of Ash, the part that was growing up faster than anything else, realized that his reluctance might stem from the fact that this really wasn't something he could decide on his own. Not really. He could still figure out what he felt was right without giving any concrete answers.

Ash glanced over towards where Bonnie and Serena were talking, the young girl excited over something as the older one just looked up, amused. He also realized that Miette was still sitting by him, staring at him oddly.

"You sure about that answer?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

Ash smiled and shook his head, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his pokedex. He went through the different functions on it until he found the photo album that had all of the pictures that he took with this pokedex and all the ones before. He opened it, and smiled brightly at the first picture that appeared as a cover for the album.

It was taken at Professor Oak's lab not long before he came to Kalos, with him and all of his pokemon surrounding him. Every time he looked at it, it filled him with so much warmth because he couldn't be prouder of all of them. That wasn't what he was looking for though. He scrolled through some of the newer pictures until he actually got to the ones taken just before he came to Kalos. Here he found the one of Misty and him making weird faces at the camera, Tracey and Leaf clearly making fun of them in the background by copying their expressions. He chuckled a little bit, feeling that warmth build up in him as he stared at his girlfriend in the picture. It wasn't just warmth he felt though, because there was also this sad longing.

He sighed, shoulders slumping just a little bit. There was a part of him, when he actually got time to sit around and think about home, that really wanted to go back. It was strange, he never encountered this before, not even when he was in Unova, but there were times he just didn't want to travel anymore.

He scrolled to the next picture, a selfie that was actually kind of hilarious, because he thought at the time that they were just going to take a normal one. His expression was turned out startled, because she kissed him on the cheek at the last minute. Staring at that, it made him long to actually be home, even if it was just for a little while.

"Maybe I do," Ash spoke up finally, his brow furrowing slightly. He moved his pokedex so that the girl could see the screen, her expression going from amused to surprise. Whatever answer she expected, it wasn't that.

"She's pretty," Miette said finally. "Who is she?"

"Misty. She's the Cerulean City Gym Leader back home." Normally Ash would prattle on about everything that he thought was awesome about her, but that really wasn't what Miette was asking so he decided to get to the point. "She's my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend?" Miette's eyes flickered over to Serena. "Huh, why isn't she here?"

"She's working to become a Water Pokemon Master," Ash explained, unable to hide the pride in his voice. "Along with the gym, that keeps her pretty busy. I wouldn't want her to follow me here if it put her dreams on hold anyway." He chuckled, his shoulders shaking. "I traveled with her for a few years. Met her the day I left home when I was ten." His voice lowered a bit, filled to the brim with amusement. "She fished me out of a river."

"She  fished  you out of the river?"

"Mmmhmm," Ash nodded. "Then I stole her bike and Pikachu fried it."

"And she's your girlfriend?" She sounded so incredulous that Ash laughed again and just nodded his head.

Miette shook her head and then looked towards Serena. "Does she know? Do any of your friends?"

"Sure, they know about Misty." He shrugged. Her stare seriously reminded him of when Dawn or May tried to pry something out of him, and he didn't like it.

"And she's your future bride?"

His cheeks turned pink and he looked back at the picture, smiling. "I dunno. It's not like I can make that decision for her, right?" He shrugged. "Is it what I want? Maybe."

"Interesting," her brown eyes looked back at Serena, who was staring at them suspiciously before she started making her way over to them. "Well, I wish you the best of luck with that then. Hope all your friends are happy for you when that comes around in the future."

He just nodded his head, looking through some of the pictures in his pokedex again. He heard Miette move and walk away. There was a sharp intake of breath. "Who is...I didn't know you  used  to have a girlfriend."

Ash jerked up a bit, not noticing Serena standing over him until then. "Huh?" What had she asked exactly? She didn't know that he had a girlfriend? "Oh! Yeah!" He watched as Serena made a face like she had bitten into a sour berry, but it faded away quickly.

"Oh. Okay. Well Bonnie and Clemont want to head back to the Pokemon Center."

She took that surprisingly well, Ash thought, relief rushing through him. He knew that Serena could take the high road, she was a good person after all. He instantly felt a lot lighter, getting up after her and tucking the pokedex back into his pocket. "Right, lets go."

She nodded and they walked back towards Bonnie and Clemont. Ash drifted off into his thoughts again. A future bride? Yeah, there was really only one person that fit that description to him. He smiled, making a mental note to give Misty a call later that night. This was definitely one conversation he needed to tell her about.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fact that Serena asked if Misty used to be his girlfriend while Ash thought she asked if she is his girlfriend is kind of amusing. They're still on two different pages but they poor Ash thinks they're on the same one. Serena's crush is very much canon in this universe too, and I still want to play with it a bit later on, but Ash isn't heartlessly leading her on or lying. He's just a little dense.
> 
> To clarify, the way I pictured Ash when he's older is that he will prattle on about all of his friends talking about their accomplishments and how awesome they are and then forgets to drop in the line 'btw the one that I've been going on about, she's my girlfriend'. Poor Ash, he tries so hard.
> 
> No actual Misty here, but she thinks about him all the time too! It's not because I'm lazy, I swear. Okay maybe it is.
> 
> I'm glad you guys like these so far!
> 
> Sky
> 
> Edited by: CLAVUS


	4. Win Or Lose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of one-shots for Pokeshipping week on tumblr. Day four: Battling Together. Misty was more than just a little bit annoyed. She just wanted to bash his face into the ground to get rid of that cocky grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokeshipping Day 4 Theme: Battling Together
> 
> Universe: 'The Road You Choose' Universe.

Misty's sea-green eyes narrowed as she took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm. Her hands twisted into fists, arms shaking slightly as she released her breath. Screaming and cursing wouldn't help her at the moment, but dear sweet Arceus it was what she wanted to do. The redhead honestly couldn't remember the last time that she had been quite this frustrated and infuriated with something.

A warm hand, larger than her own, suddenly closed over her fist. She glanced down first, staring at the darkly tanned hand that was covered with black and red gloves, then trailing up the arm attached to it until she reached Ash's face. He had a smile on his face and confidence in his voice as he said, "We got this." She could see the silent frustration in his eyes though, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

They were both becoming strong trainers, yet here they were, both down to their last pokemon after a ridiculous double knock-out that was just based off of sheer, dumb luck.

Misty looked towards their opponents, and she scowled fiercely when she saw Leaf's amused smirk. The brunette may have been her friend, but she absolutely wanted to throttle her to get that look off her face. Even worse was the look on his face. Misty could honestly say that she didn't really know Gary Oak that well, but she kind of just wanted to bash his face into the ground to get rid of that cocky grin. Yes, Leaf's Venusaur managed to take out her Gyarados while Gary's Arcanine defeated Ash's Sceptile, but that didn't matter.

"Wanna end this now, Ashy-boy?" Gary taunted him, green eyes flashing with amusement. "Save you the humiliation of defeat at my hands, again."

Now, Misty knew that Ash and Gary actually were sort-of friends again, and a part of her knew that the brunette was just acting like a jerk to get a rise out of her boyfriend. However, as Ash stumbled over his words for a good comeback that just didn't want to come out, she felt her ire rise up to the point where she was almost seeing red.

"We are not quitting, you big nosed jerk!" She smirked proudly to herself when she heard Ash chuckle beside her. The grin only spread across her face when Gary asked Leaf if he had a big nose and the girl just rolled her dusty-brown eyes at him. "Alright, lets go, Marill!" She tossed her pokeball up into the air, the aquatic-mouse appearing with a happy bounce.

"You too, Pikachu!" Ash pointed and his starter jumped out onto the makeshift battle field on Professor Oak's ranch.

"Marill, really?" Of course Gary wasn't going to question Pikachu, he was Ash's oldest pokemon, after all. Still, Misty bristled in annoyance and vowed then and there that he would regret underestimating her.

"Yes, Marill," she replied through gritted teeth, her eyes meeting Ash's bright-brown ones.

He nodded his head and winked at her, genuine confidence appearing once again. "We got this."

That they did. They both turned towards Gary and Leaf, their pokemon mimicking the movement.

"Pikachu!"

"Marill!"

"Take them down!" They yelled the last part together, and their pokemon darted into the fray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is just a drabble. I had something much longer half written out but then I ran into a part that I was struggling with and just ugh so much effort! So I went with a small drabble for today. Is this me being lazy? Yes. Still, I'm happy with this small little contribution. That's just my opinion though.
> 
> How do you guys think the battle turned out?
> 
> Til next time!
> 
> Sky
> 
> Edited by: CLAVUS


	5. Everything's Gonna Be Alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of one-shots for Pokeshipping week on tumblr. Day five: Canon. He would be okay. Even if she had to swim through an icy ocean to make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokeshipping Day 5 Theme: Canon
> 
> Universe: Anime Canon

The wind was rough and the waves were violent, but it didn't matter because he would be okay. He left, trekking through feet of snow that he could barely walk through, and she had wanted to come with him but he wanted to go on his own. No, he said he had to go on his own. The idiot. Didn't he know that she'd chase through any type of storm after him? Even if it meant frostbite on her toes and legs.

Tracey was the one who stopped her from going, told her it was better to let him go ahead because he was less likely to get noticed. Clearly Tracey didn't know Ash as well as he thought, since he seemed to get stuck in the first few feet out on the snow-packed ice. She was going to run to help, but his pokemon were there for him and then he was gone.

It was terrifying watching the three legendary birds and Lugia clash just in the air above him, fire melting and lightning shattering the ice around Ash. All she could to was tell herself over and over again that he would be okay.

They didn't know what was going on and maybe Melody was talking to her a bit, or Tracey, but she bit at her finger nail, sea-green eyes focused on Ice Island. Maybe he was appeasing her, Misty couldn't be sure, but Tracey got out his binoculars to watch for him.

"Please hurry," she whispered, moving both of her hands back around Togepi and hugging the baby pokemon to her chest. It was just to keep her warm from the cold, not because she was absolutely terrified for her friend.

Beside her, Melody held her seashell ocarina in a vice-like grip, the cold air whipping her dark hair into her eyes. "Lets hope the legend is true."

"There!" Tracey cried out suddenly, startling both of the girls and even the Slowking that was silently waiting with them. Of course Ash was flying to them on Lugia's back. It wasn't like the pokemon was a legendary creature or anything like that. He was waving at them, and Misty felt her shoulders relax because he was okay. She even raised her hand up, waving back at him.

Then he wasn't.

Misty watched Ash and Pikachu twist around to watch something behind them, and then Lugia was surrounded by triangular metal pieces that she recognized. They were pieces to a cage, like what had held Molters and Zapdos prisoner. Even from where she was, the redhead could see the electricity trying to bind the pieces of metal together, Lugia's high-pitched cry of pain reaching them as he struggled.

She screamed as Lugia hit the ice, Moltres and Zapdos circling around them. She clutched Togepi so hard that the tiny pokemon squeaked in her arms, but she barely paid attention, only watching as Lugia surfaced again. Ash and Pikachu were still clinging onto his back as Lugia rose up into the air and unleashed an unholy powerful Hyper Beam in the direction of that psycho's ship. They could see it explode from there.

Lugia was hardly done. Even from the distance they could see the legendary pokemon panicking, lashing out at everything. They all ducked back as a second Hyper Beam shot into the air before Lugia's head lolled to the side, the concentrated energy shifting direction. It slammed into the island just below them, sending debris up into the air and then shattering the ice.

The Beast of the Sea fell in slow motion, pieces of the metal prison flying off. He slammed into the water, a massive wave flying up in his wake, but this time, Lugia didn't come back up.

It all happened within the span of a minute. Maybe two.

Misty just stared, her mind unable to comprehend or keep up with the events that just transpired in front of her. She blinked several times because clearly her overly paranoid mind just made that up. Ash was still back on Ice Island and everything was fine.

Her eyes were still locked onto the water where Lugia had vanished, and she inhaled sharply when she saw two figures surface. The yellow creature was moving, swimming over to his trainer, but Ash didn't seem to be moving.

The wind started raging more around them, massive, violent water spouts curving up into the air as lightning danced through the sky. The world would turn to Ash, that's what the legend said. Misty was the one to figure out that it meant her friend, but of course, it probably meant in a literal sense too. The whole world would fall to ashes.

"Here, take this."

Misty was so startled by the declaration that she almost jumped again. Her tear-filled eyes turned to Melody, glancing first at the ocarina that she was holding out, and then at the girl's face. "Huh?"

"Legend or not, Ash can't do this alone." The redhead could actually hear the accusation in Melody's voice. She and Tracey were Ash's friends and they were just standing there in a shell-shocked stupor while the water starting raging around the younger boy. Just that expression on the brunette's face alone snapped Misty out of her stunned immobility. No, Melody was not going to be the one to do this. No matter how much she tried to deny it to both others and to herself, Misty couldn't deny what she was feeling now. What she knew now.

She smiled, and the expression clearly surprised Melody. Shaking her head, Misty reached forward and put her hand on the shell ocarina. "You'll have to play Lugia's song. I'll go look for him." Moving Togepi in her arms slightly, she looked out towards the water to make sure that he was still there, ready to dash off. She needed to say this, to get it out in the open because it mattered. "And Ash is never really alone. He's got..." She trailed off. "Me." Some people might not have found the word's very telling, but after everything that had happened, Melody clearly understood. Her blue eyes were surprised, but a smile of understanding soon replaced it. She held out her hand, and Misty grabbed it, squeezing it tightly but briefly.

"Watch Togepi for me." The water-trainer added, holding out the baby pokemon. Melody nodded her head, taking her into her arms, and Misty ran towards the beach. She wasted enough time.

"What's your plan?" Tracey yelled over the howling wind as they slid down the ice-covered stairs.

"What do you think? Swim out there and get him."

"The water's so rough, and it'll be freezing." Misty wanted to snap at Tracey about giving up on Ash already, but she saw the desperation in his eyes. He didn't want to lose two friends that he felt sort-of responsible for. He must have saw the determination on her face, because when they reached the cold beach, he tossed his bag to the ground and pulled out a massive roll of rope. "Tie this around your waist, I'll drag you both back. Be careful."

Misty understood. Either he would haul them both back, or if she got in trouble, he would haul her back. Tracey wasn't going to try and stop her though, and honestly, if he started pulling her towards the shore before she had Ash, she'd probably just cut the rope.

Still, she tied it tightly around her waist and didn't hesitate for an instant to dive into the ocean.

It felt like she jumped into a pool of knives. The water was so cold that it stabbed and burned her skin. She almost gasped and lost her breath below water, but she got to the surface quickly enough, swimming along the top so she could see where she was going. The waves were so rough that it took every once of her strength to power through them, avoiding chunks of ice on the way.

Her lungs were on fire, her muscles screamed in pain, and the wind was freezing her hair, but Misty was not about to give up. Ash was her best friend. Her burden. Either she got him out alive, or she was going to die trying.

"Pikapi!"

The voice was almost a godsend. If Pikachu was still above the water, crying out for his trainer, then that meant that he had probably managed to hold Ash up enough to stop him from sinking.

"Ash!" It hurt to yell, her voice cracking from the cold, but she cut through the water as quickly as she possibly could, finally catching sight of Pikachu's bright yellow fur contrasting with the murky water. "Pikachu!"

"Pikachupi!" She could see the relief in the small pokemon's eyes. He had clearly been doing his best to keep his trainer above the water, especially as the waves got rougher. "Just hang on!"

She grabbed Ash, flinching at how cold he was. Pikachu clung to the other side of him while she tugged on the rope and Tracey began to pull them. By some miracle or another, Ash was somehow still breathing, though he was definitely struggling. He had water in his lungs, but not enough where she'd have to give him CRP. He'd probably have to get a doctor to check it afterwards, but at least she didn't have to break his ribs just to save his life. It was one of the unfortunate side effects of CPR that no one talked about.

Relief washed through Misty as they reached the shore. Tracey grabbed Ash under his arms, tugging him up onto the sand, Pikachu climbing up and shaking off his fur. Misty followed just after, her limbs numb and rubbery as she gasped for breath and shivered against the cold air.

She turned her head, staring over at her two friends and tried to push herself up. She stumbled, kneeling down beside him on the cold ice that didn't really feel like much to her anymore. Misty pushed on his chest lightly, not like she would do if she couldn't hear any breathing at all. "Come on Ash, breathe."

"You've got to." Tracey added.

"Pikapi!"

Misty tried to hide the tears that were building up in her eyes, focusing on Ash so that no one else would notice. "Please, Ash." Her voice shook as she stared shaking him a little bit. "Please. You can't..." Her voice caught in her throat because she couldn't say the rest.

Her heart leapt when he made a small noise, his eyes slowly fluttering open and darting around in pure confusion. He jolted up, and of course he was asking about the sphere and not himself or why he probably couldn't feel the cold anymore. He didn't ask how he got out of the ocean or why she was soaked, he was just being his stubborn self and trying to get up those stupid ice steps with that stupid ice sphere.

The funny thing was that this relieved Misty to no end. If he woke up acting differently, she would have been scared for him. Scared that he had run out of oxygen in the water or the cold was getting to him. When she tried to help him up the stairs, he looked at her only briefly, but she saw everything that he didn't know how to convey or say. He was still scared but he was also relieved and thankful. Even if he wouldn't have been, it still would have been worth it. As the orbs were placed on the alter and even the cold that encompassed her was cured, she could finally breathe again.

He would be alright.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a novelization of when Misty saved Ash. Canon stuff you know? Don't really have much to say for this except omg we're getting to actual Pokeshipping Day! Gotta save the best for last! Though the one for tomorrow AU is going to be fun. I mean technical my own universe is slightly AU but nah man, I don't wanna do that.
> 
> Til tomorrow!
> 
> Sky  
> Edited by CLAVUS


	6. Once Upon A Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of one-shots for Pokeshipping week on tumblr. Day six: AU. He was a wanted fugitive who thought he found a good place to hide at a mysterious lake. Then he met the lake's beautiful but angry guardian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokeshipping Day 6 Theme: AU (Alternative Universe)
> 
> Universe: AU Fantasy Universe

Gasping for air, he rushed through the unending woods, his thick boots crunching twigs and fallen leaves, his black cape billowing behind him. In his arms were two small creatures, one with yellow fur as bright as a daffodil, the other appearing to still have part of an eggshell around its body. He clutched them close to his chest as he ran away from the angry shouts behind him.

A short creature with pointed ears and bright blue fur ran just in front of him, guiding his path with ease. There were other creatures flying and running with them, but they stayed hidden in the brush, out of sight in case the pursuers caught up. The blue creature twisted around, a glowing, sky blue sphere appearing in her hand. She slammed the orb into the ground, and the light spread out across their path. It didn't appear to have any effect, but the boy knew that it would stop the other creatures from tracking them for a while.

It did the trick for the moment. The only lifeforms he felt were the ones that he was familiar with, or the wild ones that had little to no interest in him beyond the fact that he was running through their homes like a madman. The boy knew that they needed to stop somewhere.

Finally, the trees opened up to a clearing. It was a strange place, a meadow leading down to a crystal clear lake. The trees encompassed the clearing in a perfect circle, almost like the wall of a fortress.

The young man looked up passed the brim of his hat, towards the sun, trying to gauge the time of day, if he had his bearings correct. Slight movements against his glove-covered hands drew his attention back down to the two creatures there, and he decided that this place was good enough.

Kneeling down on the bright green, oddly soft grass, he set the two creatures down, staring at the wounds on their small bodies. The yellow one was injured badly, deep scratches running across his back, intersecting with the brown stripes there. The egg-like one had a couple tiny cuts, but she appeared more frightened than anything else. For a moment, the young man wondered what he must look like, because they were probably fresh flowers compared to him.

"What did you do to them?"

He jumped with a yelp, looking around with wide, bright brown eyes. He flinched back, startled by the fact that there was a young woman towering over him, but then doing a double take and just staring. She was beautiful, with long, wavy orange hair, pale skin and eyes that looked like the dark waters of the tropical oceans he'd briefly seen before. He was never one for articulating such thoughts very well, so all he could do was stare.

Her eyes were narrowed, her pink lips twisted into a frown and her hands were on her hips. Everything about her was completely agitated, but he wasn't frightened by that. The dress she wore was such a bright blue that it really seemed like something only nobles could afford to have made, the style unlike anything he had ever seen before. The necklace around her neck, simple silver with a tear-shaped blue pendant glittered brightly in the sunlight.

His staring just seemed to anger her further, and she stomped her bare foot on the ground. "Did you hear me? Or are you a simpleton? What did you do to those poor creatures?"

Snapping out of his faze, he realized what she was accusing him of. "I'm not a simpleton! My name's Ash, and I didn't do this to them." He pulled off his thick gloves – blue with traces of gold and a strange aqua gem in the middle – and started rooting through his simple, brown leather belt. He took out some wrapped berries that were slightly squished, silently urging the smaller creature to eat them. They would heal her wounds just fine. The other one was something else though. He took a deep breath, placing his hand against the injury. He silently pleaded forgiveness when the creature twitched with discomfort, and focused on mending the injuries. A faint blue glow surrounded his hand, spreading over the injured area. When he drew back, it was completely mended with only a scar.

"See, I told you..." Ash trailed off, looking around the area with confusion. The red-haired girl was nowhere to be see. "Where's she go?" He looked in the other direction, where his blue companion was staring at the lake oddly. "Ria?"

"Luca lu cari ri," the Lucario shrugged a bit, and that was even more worrisome. Ash was distracted when she approached, he could miss someone else's presence when he was focused on something else, but to sneak by his smaller-than-normal Lucario was something else all together.

Neither of them noticed someone watching them briefly from the edge of the lake before silently disappearing into the water.

...

The clearing was as safer than any other place he'd been recently, so Ash chose to stay there as night fell over them. The other creatures that were traveling with him had long since joined them there, curling up as a group to keep one another warm without the need of a fire. Fire just attracted those they didn't want to find them.

It was so peaceful in that meadow that, though he was conscious, Ash didn't really want to get up and leave. He had long since shed his thick cape, his hat and gloves, feeling more comfortable and well-rested than he had in a while. He knew more than most that peace was so easily shattered though.

The sounds of yelling woke him abruptly. He jerked up, looking around with confusion as a roar echoed around them, and the creatures with him shrunk back.

"Stay here," Ash ordered them. "Ria, keep them safe." He started to walk towards the commotion that was hidden just beyond the tree-line.

"Pikapi!" He stopped, looking back at his yellow companion, a creature known as Pikachu. He was a stubborn little thing, and though he was still recovering, Ash knew that he wanted to come.

"No. Watch Togepi. They're less likely to notice just me." He nodded his head as if reassuring himself, and then left them all behind.

The boy stayed close to the ground, using the natural coverage to keep out of sight. It didn't take long to find the cause of the commotion though, especially when it was burning down the surrounding trees.

A group of men in dark armour were surrounding a massive creature with bright orange scales and a burning flame at the tip of its tail. They had their swords and shields out, lashing out at the creature who fought back with its sharp claws, even sharper teeth, powerful tail and scorching fire. Ash had heard of these creatures before, but he had never seen a Charizard up close. His eyes turned to the creature's wing and he frowned. It was clearly broken, some of the scales torn, preventing him from flying away.

They were proud creatures, but Ash couldn't leave this one to his own battle. Instead, he leapt out of the bushes and ran at the men. "Stop it! Leave him alone!"

One man turned to him and actually laughed. "Boy, I don't know what you're doing out here, but this beast is none of your concern." He lashed out, his sword aiming for Charizard's neck, but it bounced off a barrier just before it would have hit its target. "What?"

"Leave him alone," Ash repeated slowly. He held out the palm of his hand, and a glowing sphere appeared, floating just above his skin. With a quick flick of his wrist, it split into several smaller spheres and flew at the knights.

"What is this witchcraft?" One of the men yelled as he picked himself off of the ground.

"He's an Aura Guardian," another one said, his voice wary as he eyed Ash. The boy firmly placed himself between the knights and the Charizard. Surprisingly enough, Charizard didn't lash out at the boy's exposed back, just watched on curiously.

"Thought they were all dead."

Ash gritted his teeth and threw his arm out in front of him. A wave of invisible energy slammed into the men, throwing them back into the trees and holding them against the rough bark, several feet off of the ground. "Leave this pokemon alone! Just go and no one will have anymore trouble!" He moved his arm back to his side and they fell.

One man stood up, ready to lash out but another grabbed his arm. "Don't. We don't have the means to deal with an Aura Guardian. There's a reason the King wants all them witches dead." He spat at Ash's feet, but led the retreat away.

Ash sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, turning towards the Charizard. The creature snarled at him, showing off his long, dagger-like teeth.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," Ash reassured him, trying to think of what he should do. The pokemon was much too injured to fly or really even move on his own, and he knew from experience that doing a lot of healing in only a few hours time was a very bad choice on his part.

"Bring him closer to the lake."

Ash jumped and looked around. Through the trees, he could see the red-haired girl standing at the very edge of the meadow. He blinked with surprise and then said, "Why don't you come here and help me with him if you're so worried."

Hesitation crossed her face, being replaced quickly with agitation. "I can't. I can help, but I can't go there. You have to bring him here."

Ash stared at the Charizard and said, "Help me out. I can take the pressure off you if you walk." His green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Please, Charizard? We're only trying to help."

It took a bit of effort, but the wounded creature stood. It was a strange process, but Ash used his aura to help him move, almost like a big invisible crutch. All of his other pokemon scurried away as the rather fearsome creature appeared, and along with the woman, they headed close to the lake. When they were almost to the edge, the Charizard laid back down, completely exhausted.

Ash knelt down beside him, pulling the last of his berries out of his pouch. "Here, these will help a bit." Charizard smelled them, staring at Ash suspiciously before he carefully ate them off of his hand. It wasn't much, but Ash could still sense the appreciation coming off of the large pokemon. He wondered when was the last time he ate something.

"It would be better to get him in the lake." Ash had forgotten that the girl was there, and looked over Charizard's body at her. She was just as striking in the morning light as she was at sunset, but now she wasn't glaring, she just seemed worried.

"It'll kill him," Ash said, pointing towards Charizard's tail. "If his fire goes out, he'll die."

"Oh." Her sea-green eyes went wide. "I didn't know. I've never seen something like him before. He's beautiful. They all are." She motioned to his other pokemon.

Pikachu ran over, smelling at Charizard and waving, before looking at the young woman curiously. Togepi just thrilled happily, running over and hugging her leg. Ash watched the interaction curiously, watching as she picked up Togepi and tickled her spiky head, a thrill of laughter as her reward.

"Togepi doesn't just like anyone. I've been trying to find her a good home, but you're the first one she's acted like that around, aside from me." He didn't know why he said it, but it put a smile on the redhead's face.

With Togepi in one arm, she turned towards the lake and scooped up a wooden bowl that Ash hadn't even noticed before. She filled it up with the clear water and presented it to Charizard, who happily lapped the cool liquid up. "This water is special. It can heal pokemon." She motioned to the edge of the trees. "As long as the pokemon are in this circle, they cannot die."

Ash blinked at her. "Seriously? What—?" He cut himself off as he coughed dryly. "Sorry."

"Here." His eyes were seriously starting to play tricks on him, because he knew that flask wasn't at the edge of the lake a moment before, but now she was holding it out to him. "The water doesn't heal people, but it is still water."

Ash sensed a little Marill hiding behind her, realizing that it must have brought the flask from in the water. Feeling a little more comfortable with one mystery solved, he gratefully took it and drank the water.

The girl eyed him curiously the entire time, and he looked at her when he was done. "What?"

"The water was a test," she explained, setting Togepi on the ground again. The Marill quickly ran back to the water, jumping in as the young woman approached the edge of the lake. "It's magic, like I said. Blessed by Arceus himself. It heals pokemon, but people are different. Should they be pure of heart, it's simply water. Should they be monstrous men like those in the woods, they die." She looked over her shoulder at him. "I must admit, I am glad that you passed. It would have been a shame for the pokemon to lose a friend."

"What?" Ash stared at her with wide eyes. "Who are you? What are you?"

"My name is Misty." She took a step out onto the water, but instead of falling in, she walked on top of it, the surface rippling with every step that she took. Misty looked back at him again, a tiny smile on her face. "I'm the guardian of this lake." She took a few more steps and vanished.

...

When the strange boy appeared at the edge of her lake with such sweet creatures that were so badly injured, Misty instantly wanted to lash out at him. Let him feel the wrath of the lake for hurting the innocent. Watching him in secret as he helped them, and then that beautiful Charizard made her change her mind. He genuinely cared about them, and she had never met someone quite like that before.

She watched him from the safety of her lake, knowing that he couldn't see her even if he tried. Though he could use a strange type of magic like she had never seen before, and Misty was more than a bit curious. Then again, she couldn't remember the last time someone who wasn't killed by the waters of her lake had stayed there for more than a day, most taking water before continuing their journeys.

If one of her water-pokemon would have been with her that morning, they might have said in their own language that she was disappointed to see that the young man had vanished from the meadow. The large Charizard was still napping peacefully in the sunlight, but none of the other pokemon were in sight. He must have left, just like the others.

She walked across the soft grass, kneeling next to Charizard and looking at his injuries. They looked much better than the day before.

"Hi."

Misty jumped, putting a hard over her heart as she looked up and met Ash's amused brown eyes. He had a brown bag in his hands, and all of his pokemon friends came out of the woods behind him. He came to her side, kneeling down and offering the bag to Charizard. The creature smelled inside before eagerly eating the berries within.

"I thought you left," she said nonchalantly.

"No, I just needed to get the pokemon something to eat."

"They can't die here."

"You say that's true, but I'm not willing to risk it." He shook his head, messy black hair moving around his face. "Besides, berries can heal, and no offense, Miss Lake Guardian, but your idea was to put a Charizard in water. I think I'll stick around until he's better. Just in case."

She scowled at him fiercely, but his grin only got wider. He left the bigger bag for Charizard, but he also had a smaller one tied to his belt that she hadn't noticed before. "Here, I brought this for you and your Marill. There's enough for other pokemon, if you want them."

Misty blinked with surprise and cautiously took the bag from him. The lake water said he was pure of heart, and she knew to trust it, so she wasn't necessarily afraid that he was trying to hurt her. She just couldn't remember the last time she had interacted with someone who was kind to her without any other intentions. Some men that she met thought that she was simply a normal girl stranded there and tried to take advantage of that, but the lake always punished those who tried.

She tasted one of the berries herself, and Misty felt like her mouth was exploding with pleasure from the sweet taste. She smiled broadly and said, "I can't remember the last time I tried something like this. Actual food."

"You don't eat?"

"No." She shrugged and moved to the water, dipping a finger into the surface. A moment later, half a dozen pokemon popped out, and she handed each of them a berry. "I don't need sustenance, and I don't feel hunger. Funnily though, I can taste things when I eat. Perhaps that's a bit of a punishment." Even as she said it, Misty knew it wasn't true. Her real punishment wasn't something so silly.

Ash looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but he didn't and for that, Misty was grateful. He was kind, and he had a good heart, but she didn't trust him. Not yet, at least.

...

Ash stayed to care for the Charizard, and Misty admitted to her pokemon that she was grateful for the sudden company. It had nothing to do with the fact that he would go into the woods every morning and return with different varieties of fruit and vegetables that could be found there. It made sense for him to search for food, he didn't have the luxury that she and the pokemon had in that safe haven, but the boy didn't seem to mind.

The longer he was there, the braver his pokemon friends seemed to become, spreading out to explore the meadows and the edges of the forest. Some even approached the lake curiously. His Pidgeot, Noctowl and Fletchinder stayed in the tops of the trees and soared through the skies, while Butterfree, Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil, Bayleaf, Sceptile, Turtwig, Chimchair, Tepig, Snivy and Scraggy all spread out, scampering or fluttering about the meadow. The ones who loved the water, Squirtle, Totodile, Oshawott and Froakie were all welcomed into the lake, and her own pokemon were quite happy to have some new friends.

"Ow." Misty put her finger in her mouth when she accidentally cut it on one of Totodile's claws.

"I thought you couldn't get hurt like that." Ash tilted his head curiously.

"I can't die. I can still get hurt really badly. It just heals, eventually."

Ash just shook his head.

"I can't believe so many are with you." Misty told him in awe. The only pokemon that never seemed to leave Ash's side were Pikachu and Lucario, while the Togepi had become attached to her hip when she was above water. "Where'd you find them all?"

Ash's smile was bitter as he stared at them, watching Pikachu and Ria talk to the healing Charizard. "I saved most of them. There were more that followed me through the woods. I kept them safe and found them good homes. These are the ones who refused to go with anyone else."

"Huh," she plopped a berry into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Togepi thrilled and she giggle, giving the baby pokemon one as well. "Do you mind me asking why you're being hunted?" At his surprised expression, she clarified what she meant. "You saved these pokemon, you were running from something when you got here with some injured ones, and those men in the woods said as much. Is it because of your powers?"

"Well..." He hesitated, "I guess you deserve an answer. Letting us stay at your lake and all." Ash held out his hand, a tiny, glowing sphere appearing above it. "Have you heard of Aura before?"

"Yes. It's life energy," Misty nodded her head, long strands of red hair falling into her face. She reached out and touched the aura sphere, feeling it tingle against her skin.

"That's right. Well, when I was really little, my mother found out that I had the ability to manipulate it. It's really rare. No one could believe that a common widow who sold seasonal fruits and vegetables could have a child with that gift. It made me angry to hear people say that about my mother. I made it my goal to be the best Aura Guardian in the world."

It was obvious from his tone that Ash adored his mother very much. She put her hand on his arm and asked, "Your mother, is she...?"

"Dead? No." The relief in his voice was palpable as he shook his head. "I ran to her first, but I knew I couldn't stay. I left a Mr. Mime to protect her and kept running. She'll be okay, even if I never see her again." He took a deep breath and continued to his story. "When I left home for training, I was instantly pegged as a strange kid. Every other Aura Guardian had a Riolu as their first pokemon companion. Mine was Pikachu. I met him on the way there, and he hated me."

"Really?" She was surprised, because it was so obvious that Pikachu adored him now.

Ash nodded his head, smiling as he watched Pikachu scamper across Charizard's shoulders, causing the larger creature to smile. "I saved him, he saved me, and we became best friends. Pikachu can't use Aura though, so I was seen as a bit of an outcast. Later on I found an egg that hatched into Ria." He nodded towards the Lucario. "So it became a little bit better. She was born too early and was smaller than most, so we were still underestimated. The other trainees and I didn't get along, but my mentor, Riley, was a really good friend. Even the head Aura Guardian, Sir Aaron, was very kind." Ash's smile instantly fell. "Then the good King died. No one's quite sure how. An evil, twisted man took his place, and that made people say it was murder. The Aura Guardians had plans to stop him, but there was a traitor who found out. The King's army attacked, slaying everyone they could find, even the young children and the pokemon eggs that were there. Riley found me in the chaos and told me to save the pokemon, to run with them and survive so that Aura would live on." Ash frowned, looking to the ground. "I didn't want to, but I still ran. I left them all."

Misty looked down at the ground, eyes sad at hearing such a tragedy. She reached out, grasping his hand with her own, and he looked up at her. "It wasn't cowardice that made you run. If even one survives, sometimes that's enough. All these pokemon might have died. You as well. If you had stayed and perished, that poor Charizard probably would have died. He was out of my area of control." She squeezed his hand. "And I never would have gotten the chance to meet you. We both have similar tragedies in our past. Maybe it wasn't just happenstance that you ended up here."

Ash was going to ask what she meant by similar tragedies, but he decided not to. She seemed almost ragged after hearing his tale. Just one for that day was enough. He held her hand, enjoying the warmth because she was right. While he didn't care about his own fate, there was a good chance all of the pokemon that were now happily playing in the field and water would have been killed.

For the first time since he ran, Ash thought that, just maybe, he had done the right thing.

...

Charizard was fully healed, thanks to a combination of the magical water, natural berries and a little bit of Ash's power. Oddly enough, the fire-type didn't fly away. He did soar in the skies and would leave sometimes to explore, but he always came back to settle by the lake, or sometimes he would just lounge around them.

Likewise, though he originally claimed to only be there to help Charizard, Ash hadn't left either. Misty found herself feeling a little bit of hope with every day that she rose from the water and he was still there. One night, she even stayed out of the water, laying in the grass and listening to stories about the world outside of her meadow.

Ash learned more about her. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed as much as he had when a Weedle came up to her, and she screamed and disappeared into her lake. He was even getting used to that. She was a beauty, and she absolutely adored the pokemon, laughing and playing with all of them (except the bugs that came too close, barring Butterfree), telling stories and making sure that they were okay. She took things the wrong way quite often, and her anger was positively explosive and fierce. It was almost fascinating to see.

"I have a hidden grotto here," Misty said one day, when she was watching him fill in the earth that he dug up earlier. He promised to plant berry bushes within her boundaries so that she herself could grow and tend to them. She and the pokemon might not have needed food, but they were always a nice treat.

"A what?"

"It's a cave beneath the water. I keep things that people leave behind," she explained. "Would you like to see?"

"I can't breathe in water like you can," he pointed out with a laugh, finishing with the last of the seeds. He looked up towards the darkening sky, and frowned. There was no need to water them, there was a storm coming anyway, but he was worried about the pokemon.

"There's air in the cave," she assured him. "You'd just have to hold your breath until we got there. For just the storm. Your pokemon could go to the caves in the mountain." She pointed to the large expanse of rock that was behind the trees on one side. "They should still be there."

"I'll take them there," Ash nodded his head. "Hide them to keep them uninjured." Just because they couldn't die in her meadow didn't mean that they couldn't come close. "If there's time, I'll come back. If not, I'll wait there with them and return tomorrow."

"Alright." She frowned and sounded so disappointed that it made his heart drop.

Misty had been right about there being large caves that even Charizard could fit in. He curled up in the back, leaving his tail out so that the other pokemon could crowd around to keep warm. The rain was already falling and the wind was starting to pick up, so Ash planned on staying there. As he counted the pokemon that were in there though, he realized that there were two that were not.

"Ria!" He yelled to his Lucario, who jolted up and looked at him. "Keep everyone safe. I need to go find Pikachu and Togepi. I might not be back."

He ran through the woods, glad that he didn't have his cape and hat to slow him down. He slipped on the mud and the slick vegetation, until he finally came back to the clearing.

Misty was still out of the water, shielding Pikachu and Togepi from the wind. Pikachu yelled and pointed, but it was too hard to hear over the gusting air. The redhead turned towards him and nodded towards the lake. He understood. It would be stupid to try and run back to the caves now. Despite all his apprehension, Ash took Pikachu into one arm and her hand into his free one. She grasped Togepi tightly and yelled, "Hold your breath!" Then they all plunged into the water.

Ash had swam in his fair amount of streams, rivers, lakes and even oceans, but never before had he been in water that was so clear. While the surface was rough, everything below was so peaceful and calm. Misty guided them through the water quickly and effortlessly, leading them into a tunnel deep beneath the surface, twisting around a few corners, before they went up again, surfacing in a dark cavern.

Ash gasped for breath, as did Pikachu and Togepi, but he was also in awe. It was hard to see anything there, but it was truly a cave beneath the water that wasn't filled with water. He wondered how that worked.

"Come." Misty guided him forward, apparently able to see when he couldn't. Ash eventually ran into rock, and she helped him and the pokemon out onto solid ground. "This is my grotto."

She sounded so excited that he almost didn't want to point out that he couldn't see. Thinking quickly, Ash created an Aura Sphere in his hand, looking around curiously. There were so many different odds and ends on the cavern walls, like natural shelves for anything that she found. There were some other holes and tiny tunnels around, probably made by Diglett, let fresh air into the room. "Wow." It actually was pretty impressive.

His eyes caught sight of a couple gemstones sticking into the wall and he grinned at her. "Watch." He pressed the Aura Sphere into one, and then moved his hand. One by one, all of the gemstones lit up, making it much easier to see, even if the only light source was a blueish-green.

Misty clapped her hands together excitedly. "That's amazing! How long will it last."

"Until I want it to go out." He shrugged a bit, looking at some of the things that she had there. He frowned when he picked up an ancient dagger. "Wow. How do you have something like this? It's ancient." He immediately felt stupid for the question. She was an immortal lake guardian, time probably meant nothing to her.

Misty came up to his side, touching the blade. "It belonged to my father." He looked at her, completely startled. "I wasn't always what I am now. I was human once too." She turned away from him, walking towards the water.

Ash reached out, grabbing her hand before she could go too far. "Don't go. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Misty stared away from him before turning to face him with sad eyes. She nodded towards the ground, pulling him with her as she sat at the edge of the water, dipping her feet into the liquid. Ash followed suit, pulling off his boots and rolling up his pants first. Pikachu and Togepi sat on Misty's other side, staring at her curiously.

"There was once a village here. It was a humble place with small houses, generally left alone. No one knew that the residence had been given a special task passed up from generation to generation. It was our job to protect the lake." She smiled slightly. "You see, the water wasn't always like this. It used to cure everything and everyone. Even to the point where it could stop them from dying. It was said to be Arceus' personal healing water. They called it The Waters of Immorality."

Ash's eyes went wide with recognition. He had once heard the legends of a body of water with that name. It was said to have vanished from the face of the earth. "I've heard of it."

Misty nodded. "I was the youngest child of four, with three other sisters that got on my nerves so badly. It's been so long though, that I can barely see their faces anymore." She smiled sadly. "Like in your story, a dark, greedy man came into power. An Emperor. His armies stormed the lands, ravaging it of all the goods they could find. They tortured and killed men, kidnapped and raped women, and threw babies off of high walls. They were horrible." She took a deep breath. "They heard of our lake, and the Emperor wanted it for himself. Of course, none of us knew this."

She fiddled with the soft fabric of her dress. "I loved the lake and the pokemon. I would come here every single day from the moment I could walk. This is where I was when the armies destroyed the town. I ran back and found my sisters but they...they had been..." She was shaking from both sadness and anger, and Ash put his hand on her shoulder. She sighed and leaned into him a little bit. "I was the last one left. They begged me to run, but I didn't. I ran to the lake instead. The Emperor was actually with them. I begged him to stop this war. To stop the bloodshed." Tears welled up in her eyes. "He didn't listen to me. I know I shouldn't be surprised but..."

"It's okay," Ash insisted, worry lacing his voice. "You don't have to tell me the rest."

"No." She turned to face him a little more, taking the hand that wasn't around her shoulders into her own. "I just, it's hard. He laughed at me. I can't remember my sisters' faces, but I remember that laugh. He laughed and slit my throat and I fell to the edge of the lake. The last thing I saw was my blood running into it."

Ash didn't know what to make of that at all. He pulled his hand out of hers, and didn't hesitate to touch the spot on her neck where there was a distinctive scar that he hadn't noticed before now. Now that he knew what it was, how it had come to be, he couldn't help but notice it. He didn't even realize how badly his hand was shaking until she took it into hers. "Then Arceus destroyed them."

"What?" His eyes snapped from her scar, back to her eyes.

"Arceus saw their violence, and their greed. When my blood touched the lake, the water became tainted and cursed. None of them realized this. Instead of healing them or making them immortal, it killed them. Pokemon were considered innocent by him, so they can still live here without fear of death. People with pure hearts, people like you, are spared." She looked down at their intertwined hands before looking back up at him. "There is still a little bit of the original water left. It's been locked away for so long, so concentrated, that should someone drink it, they'll become immortal. Arceus could have destroyed this, but he didn't. Instead, he gave me new life. I don't know why he chose me, but he did. I was made to be the guardian of the lake, to protect the last drops of the water and the pokemon that came here for healing and shelter."

"That must have been a long time ago," Ash said, and she nodded. "It must have been lonely."

"I have my pokemon here, and others visit," Misty told him. "But yes, it is very lonely. When I was young, I wanted to travel. It was a foolish dream for a girl, I know. I wanted to make new friends and see all the oceans. I know I'll never be able to see the oceans now, but I still wish for friends someday."

Ash once again took his hand out of hers, moving it up under her chin to make her look at him. "I might not be able to do anything about the ocean, but...I can definitely be your friend."

The smile that crossed Misty's face was so genuine and happy that it made him smile too. She leaned forward and he met her half way in a deep kiss.

...

Happiness was so easily shattered. They heard the crashing of the trees as the dark knights stormed through the them.

"Hide with them," Ash urged Misty once she got all of the pokemon she could do her grotto. The others took off to hide in the woods and the caves in the mountains. "They're not here for you."

"No, they're here for you, so I'm not going."

Ash wanted to argue with her, but the trees split open with a thunderous crack, and a man appeared, riding on the back of an enslaved Rapidash. This wasn't a knight though, this tall, imposing figure was King Giovanni.

"This boy attacked us with Aura!" One of the knights behind him yelled.

"So I've heard," Giovanni's eyes turned from Ash to Misty. "We've come on time."

"Come on time?" Ash repeated with alarm.

"Don't you know, boy? When one of my men I sent to watch told me of the girl that could walk on water, I knew what this was the place. The Waters of Immorality." They both tensed up. "You must know the story of a beautiful water creature that lures people in and kills them, using the sacrifice to make the waters immortal for herself."

"That's not true."

"No? What did you think would happen?" Giovanni motioned to their intertwined hands. "She'd fall in love with you? Wait while you turn into an old man and die while she stays the same?" Misty glared at him fiercely. "Oh, what's this?" The smile that spread across his face was alarming. "She does love you." He got off his Rapidash, still tall and imposing as he unsheathed his sword. He lashed out at them, and Ash let go of Misty, throwing both of his arms out to create a barrier. He yelped with alarm when the vines of a pokemon wrapped around him and dragged him away from Misty, even as she screamed his name.

"I was just hoping to collect the water from his sacrifice, but this works just as well. Give me the water I know you keep, monster, and he lives." Misty took a step away from Giovanni, even as Ash struggled. "I give you my word."

"Don't listen to him, Mist!" Ash grunted as he was slammed into the ground.

"I'd rather die," Misty spat at Giovanni, slashing out herself and trying to hit him. A knight grabbed her, restraining her arms.

"Interesting." Giovanni put his blade to her neck. "I wonder what happens if we remove your head? Does it grow back?" She spat on his face and he slapped her face. "You stupid abomination." He brought his hand with the sword up into the air.

"No!" Ash's Aura exploded out of him, throwing off the pokemon that was holding him and the men around him. He used it to shoot forward faster than he would normally be able to, but there wasn't enough power left over to throw up a shield.

Misty screamed loudly, and pain rushed through Ash's body as the sword stabbed through his chest. Giovanni growled, jerking the sword back out and letting his blood run free.

Ash fell backwards into Misty and then both topped to the ground. She held onto him tightly, tears springing into her angry eyes. "Why did you do that, you idiot? I can't die."

"No, but they could keep hurting you and that's worse," he choked out, eyes fluttering. "Better me than you."

She shook her head, burying her face into his hair and listening as his breathing halted, his heartbeat slowing to a stop. Then she sobbed. Misty couldn't remember the last time she had felt so much pain and hatred. The King laughed cruelly, his men repeating the sound. One of her hands was still curled around Ash, holding him to her chest, but the other turned into a shaking fist.

The water of the lake started to move and bubble. Misty looked up at Giovanni with hatred that she hadn't felt for a very long time. "You want the water? Have it."

The lake water lashed out in a giant wave, encompassing everyone in the meadow. Misty watched beneath the water as the men struggled, unable to breath. A small, grim smile appeared on her lips when she watched them realize that the air wasn't what they had to worry about. Their skin changed, becoming almost crystal-like, starting at their finger tips and spreading across their bodies. By the time the water receded, every single on of them was frozen.

An angered roar echoed through the air, and Misty looked up just in time to see Charizard appear from beyond the trees. His Flamethrower slammed into the statues, and when the fire let up, they were almost completely gone. The last bits of the ice and the puddles that remained faded away. Despite the legend, Arceus didn't want his lake to be tainted.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped off of Charizard's back, rushing over to where Misty knelt with Ash. He nudged the young man, shaking him to try to get him to wake up.

Misty's already broken heart shattered a little bit more, but then it occurred to her that she still had a choice to make. She reached up to the necklace that she wore, yanking on it to take it off. She let Ash's body lean against her, reaching both her arms around him and twisting the metal out of the top of the tear-shaped gemstone. She hesitated for only a moment before putting it to Ash's lips and tilting it back, letting the water inside run into his mouth.

They all watched as a glow spread across his body, and the stab wound began healing itself. A moment later, Ash gasped violently, his eyes snapping open and looking around with confusion.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms, nuzzling his face into his shirt.

"I don't...what happened?" Ash looked up at Misty with confusion. "The King?"

"He's dead. They all are." Misty showed him the gemstone. "I used the water to save you. I—maybe it was selfish of me." She took a sharp rock and drew it across his hand, causing Pikachu and Charizard to both cry out in disapproval. Ash just gaped as the wound sealed itself. "You're...well..."

"I'm immortal." He breathed out.

"You're immortal," she agreed, almost shamefully, because she knew the price of immorality. Loneliness was a horrible, horrible thing.

Ash pushed himself up, looking around at her with wide eyes. "You're still immortal, even though you don't have water to protect?"

"I still have the lake and the pokemon," she pointed out, wondering what he was getting at.

"Then it's okay. I...maybe if you weren't here it wouldn't be but it's okay Misty. We'll stay together. You can't leave but we can build a little house or something at the edge of the woods, and we can—." Misty cut him off as she kissed him.

Ash was right. Loneliness was the price of immortality, but they weren't alone anymore, and they never would be ever again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally wanted to to Aura Guardian and mermaid but it's been done and then I read about Naiads (water nymphs) and got the idea for something similar and here we are.
> 
> I've been watching way too much Once Upon A Time lately. 
> 
> Well, tomorrow's Pokeshipping Day and we'll be back in The Road You Choose universe!
> 
> Sky  
> Edited by: CLAVUS


	7. Someday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of one-shots for Pokeshipping week on tumblr. Day seven: Future. New Years is always a good time to talk about the future, no matter how far away the future in mind might be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokeshipping Day 7 Theme: Future
> 
> Universe: 'The Road You Choose' Universe

"I'll be ready in a minute!"

"Yup."

Misty paused at the uninterested reply, her hand resting by her ear where she was putting her earring in. They were running really late, and normally Ash whined and groaned when she was 'acting like her sisters and taking too much time' to get ready. She secured her earring and walked down the short hallway to the living room of the 'penthouse' (as her sisters insisted on calling it) that was their living area in the gym. She expected to see her boyfriend being his normal antsy self, fidgeting with the tie that she had already done twice for him. What she found was much stranger.

He was upside down on the couch, long legs over the back of it, while his bored eyes were focused on some silly game show called 'Are You Smarter Than An Abra?'. The red dress shirt that he was wearing was all wrinkled, the coat tossed aside on the floor.

"I can't leave you anywhere, can I?" Misty leaned over the back of the couch and looked at him, struggling to keep the smile off of her face. She wanted to appear stern, but it was just too difficult.

Ash tilted his head up from the TV and looked at her. He blinked and stared at her, that same awestruck expression that he had when they were eleven and he saw her in a kimono for the first time. Her sparkly navy dress was completely different from that, they were different from back then, but the look still made her feel warm in a good way. He might not have been the best at using his words to convey his thoughts, but his eyes always spoke the truth.

Ash shook his head and and flipped himself over to roll off of the couch, apparently predicting that he'd have to do this by moving the table earlier. He stood up and put his hand to his head. "Blood rush. Oh god."

"That's what you get for watching tv upside down," Misty rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Now come on before my sisters come upstairs and start whining about why we're not down at their silly New Years party."

"Do we have to?" There was the whining she was expecting.

"Yes we have to. That was part of the deal. We were at your house for Christmas, so we're here for New Years." She poked his chest gently. "You promised."

"I know, I know," Ash sighed, reaching for his jacket and pulling it on because Arceus forbid one of her older sister caught him 'underdressed'. He got the chance to talk to them from time to time when he called and was waiting for Misty. He got along with them, but those three also terrified him like no one else.

"Besides," Misty spoke up brightly, running her fingers through her wavy hair. "I don't want to stay that long either. They see us there, then we can leave, eat pizza, watch movies, and be lazy loafs for the rest of the right."

"You're awesome." Ash smiled at her broadly, reaching out and wrapping his arm around her waist. Misty laughed and the two of them walked down from her apartment.

When the three elder Waterflower sisters did something, they went all out. Hard covers had been brought out over the pools so that people could walk over them, the pokemon moved to the other ones for the night. Pretty much everyone in Cerulean City was invited to come, and it looked like almost everyone did.

Music blasted through the massive gym, reverberating off of the bleachers and back down to the mingling people , most not even realizing that they were standing on a retractable floor that led to a very deep pool. Even if they did, it didn't matter. They were all having fun laughing, dancing, talking and just generally being together.

Of course, Misty had been fretting over that floor all day. She could just see it collapsing and taking all of the people in their fancy clothes down into the water. The people who installed the retractable floor assured her that it could hold up more than a hundred Snorlax, but she was still a bit paranoid.

"You look lonely," A young man with blond hair said, sliding up to her side. "May I have this dance?"

The redhead raised an eyebrow because the song was upbeat and definitely not something she wanted to dance to with anyone. She shook her head and said, "Sorry. I'm here with my boyfriend." Clearly this guy didn't even realize who she was, because she made it very clear that she wasn't available.

"Oh? Where is he then?"

That was a very good question. Misty frowned, looking around for her raven-haired boyfriend who claimed that he was just going to get a drink a little while ago and had yet to come back. Maybe he was just getting tired of reassuring her that, no the floor would not collapse, and no that stupid disco ball that her sisters insisted they needed wouldn't fall.

Finally, she caught sight of him and laughed, knowing exactly what held him up. It was only after she was halfway to where he was that Misty realized she just rudely left that the blond man, but there was no point in going back.

Ash was taking sips from his cup, looking clearly uncomfortable as he tried to edge away from her sisters. Every time he tried, either Lily or Violet, who were on opposite sides of him, would grab his arm to keep him still. His eyes met hers and Misty almost laughed at the pleading expression in them.

Deciding to come to his rescue, Misty walked over and not-so-subtly worked her way in between him and Violet. "I thought you got lost. What's going on?" She smiled at her sisters, an expression that wasn't so much happy as it was a promise of violence.

"We were just asking Ash how his Christmas was," Lily said innocently.

"Uh huh," Misty clearly didn't believe them, especially with the way Ash glared at them. "I told you not to traumatize him."

"Oh he doesn't mind," Daisy waved her off. "Right Ash? Besides, we kinda come with you as a package deal so he just has to...well...deal."

His cheeks went red at the implication, and Misty groaned. She grabbed his arm, tugging him with her across the crowded gym. "Come on, we're going to dance.

"That's a horrible idea." Ash sounded slightly mortified. "You know I can't dance."

"Didn't your mom make you learn?"

"I'm pretty sure you were never supposed to mention that again." The teenager pouted at her. "All it taught me was how not to step on your feet anyway."

Shaking her head with amusement, Misty turned to face him, throwing her arms around his shoulders and tugging him close, smiling when he placed his hands on her back. "See, now just sway. You can do that, right?"

"I guess." He still clearly wasn't happy.

"What would we be doing back at Pallet Town? Like, what's New Years like there?" That was one thing she had never experienced herself. She had spent several New Years with Ash when they were traveling, but she never got to experience it at his home.

"Nothing like this. Mom likes us to dress up nice and then the Oaks and the Greens would come over, a few other people." He shrugged, appearing a bit embarrassed by that fact.

To some people, it might have sounded kind a lame thing to do on New Years, but Misty had grown up with these big obnoxious parties. "I think it sounds nice. I think I'd like to go to Pallet next year instead of you coming here." She smiled broadly. "I'll just come down for Christmas and stay."

"I'm sure your sisters would be happy with that." He didn't oppose the idea, because it sounded appealing to him too.

Misty rolled her eyes and motioned to where she her sisters were, all with their dates. "They all have boyfriends, and who knows how that will work out by next year. Daisy will have Tracey to cling onto." She had to admit, the Pokmon Watcher was doing a pretty good job at not being awkward about getting introduced to every second person that they ran into. "Vi has her movie-star boyfriend." She pointed towards where the blue-haired woman was dancing with a tall, muscular man with dark skin and a charming smile. "And Lily...well Lily has her...boyfriend."

"He's a little old," Ash conceded, looking to where Lily was laughing with the man that she brought with her. Saying he was a little old in comparison was kind of an understatement. He had to be at least 45 but that might have been generous.

Misty rolled her eyes and looked back up at him. In order to hear each other, they had to stand so close that her nose brushed against his. She smiled and said, "You know, this might be the last year I'm with my sisters on New Years, and I don't even want to be here."

"Then lets go steal that pizza you mentioned earlier," Ash urged her because he really didn't want to be there either. "We'll swipe it right out of the kitchen and run back upstairs. We can watch the countdown in Goldenrod." That celebration was an even bigger one than this.

The redhead looked around, unsure, but when she realized that literally no one would notice that they were gone, nodded her head. "Come on, lets go!"

...

On one hand, taking the entire pizza and running was definitely the best idea that either one of them had all night. On the other, both were too full to really move, and instead of sitting up to watch the New Years countdown, they were laying side by side in her bed, staring up at the ceiling and slowly drifting off to sleep.

Her sisters might have seen all her effort in curling her hair and choosing her dress as a waste since she was quick to retreat back home, but Misty didn't think so. She felt really pretty and she had a lot of fun, so that was really what mattered.

"Do you ever think about the future?"

Misty craned her head to glance over at Ash. She raised an eyebrow when she saw just how thoughtful he looked, pushing herself up onto her forearms. "Doesn't everyone?" He shook his head, trying to look stern but failing to hide the smile on his face. "Of course I do. Something specific you're thinking of?"

"I dunno. I guess the future's always been on my mind, right? It was always, I'm going to get the next badge, I'm going to win this league, I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokemon Master." He shrugged a bit, looking from her and towards the ceiling. "Someone I met in Kalos asked me a weird question."

"Hmm?"

"If I had a future bride in mind."

Misty was trying to make herself comfortable, which was a little hard when she was still wearing a dress covered in sequins. She paused in her movements and rolled over onto her side so that she was facing him. He mimicked her movement so that they were face to face, and she just stared for a moment, trying to read him. "Bet that broke your mind."

"You have no idea." He laughed with relief. What was he expecting, for her to blow up or something? "I think I had a headache for days from all the thinking I did."

"Huh, you mean you actually thought about it? You didn't just stutter and let your brain go numb?" Her voice implied that she was joking, but the emotions that he could sense pulsing from her let him see the truth. She was curious and a little bit anxious.

"I told her that it's wasn't just up to me. And you know. When I picture being a Master and stuff, you're always there. Kickass Water Pokemon Master yourself, but there."

She was a bit taken back by his answer, but thought about it a bit herself. A small smile passed over her features as she scooted closer to him, burying her face into his chest. "That sounds like a good future. Maybe..." She hesitated, but then decided to just go for it. If he could freak her out a bit, she could do the same to him. "Maybe another person could be there too. A small one. You know, distant future."

"Uh..." Ash's brow furrowed with confusion before his face suddenly went red with realization. "Oh! Oh. Well, yeah someday. One might get lonely though. I was."

"Yeah, well too many people can cause trouble."

"Not if we don't let it happen."

That much was true. Part of the reason Misty's sisters, from her point of view, terrorized her so much as a child was because her parents died when she was young, and then her grandmother passed away not long before she left on her journey. The woman hadn't been exactly stern with the older three when they would tease her, but Arceus knew that she tried. If her parents had actually been around, it might have been so much better. "That's true. So I guess...yeah you're right. One extra person might get lonely."

If someone told 10-year-old Misty that she'd be laying in her bed beside Ash Ketchum, having this serious but incredibly vague conversation, she probably would have screamed at them in anger. 10-year-old Ash probably would have just stared, not understanding what they were talking about at all. She knew that some people would find it strange to be having these types of conversations when they were 16, but time rushed by quickly. There was nothing wrong with having a goal, or at least a path in mind.

Ash ran his fingers over the exposed part of her back, an idle movement with no real thought, as he hummed thoughtfully. "Mist?"

"Hmm?"

"Whatever happens, lets just try to stick together."

"Yes." That was definitely a promise that she could get behind at the moment.

As the clock hit midnight and the people cheered loudly in the gym, Misty and Ash dozed off together, still in their formal clothes. Missing New Years wasn't a big deal, not when there would be many more to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pokeshipping Day! 
> 
> I feel like this is a bit subpar for the actual pokeshipping day, but I was actually kind of stuck with what I should write. Oh well, I tried.
> 
> These fics were actually a lot of fun to write and I'm glad you guys liked them in all their different forms. If you don't know, I've been posting pics over on tumblr too under theroadyouchoose. Most of them go with the fics or at least the themes of the day. For today, I have two. One is my pokeshipping family (it's already there) and I'm going to post another one in a few minutes. 
> 
> Seriously, there have been so many awesome pics and fics this week! I love it! Hope you guys thought this one was okay!
> 
> Sky  
> Edited by: CLAVUS


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